Elevated fat skatole levels in immunocastrated, surgically castrated and entire male pigs with acute dysentery

Nina Batorek (1, 2) , Michel Bonneau (2) , Gregor Fazarinc (3)

1 Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
2 PEGASE - Physiologie, Environnement et Génétique pour l'Animal et les Systèmes d'Elevage [Rennes]
3 Veterinary faculty

Boar taint is due to androstenone and skatole (3-methyl-indole) accumulation in fat tissues. During a study to investigate the effect of immunocastration on fattening pigs, an outbreak of acute dysentery occurred caused by Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and resulted in cachexia and high mortality. Low androstenone levels in the immunocastrates (0.25 +/- 0.04 mu g/g liquid fat) suggested that the immunocastration had been effective, but unusually high skatole concentrations in fat tissues were found not only in entire males, but also in surgical castrates and immunocastrates (0.22 +/- 0.15, 0.14 +/- 0.08 and 0.18 +/- 0.14 mu g/g liquid fat, respectively). The findings suggest that boar taint can arise in cases of intestinal infections, even in castrated pigs.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Nina Batorek, Michel Bonneau, Gregor Fazarinc. Elevated fat skatole levels in immunocastrated, surgically castrated and entire male pigs with acute dysentery. Veterinary Journal, 2012, 194 (3), pp.417-419. ⟨10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.04.013⟩. ⟨hal-01210355⟩