Boar taint: interfering factors and possible ways to reduce it

english

2014

volume 11, issue 1/2

Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za kmetijstvo
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Boar taint is an off-flavor in meat of entire male pigs caused primarily by high levels of two natural components, androstenone and skatole. Androstenone is a natural steroid produced, in parallel with anabolic testicular hormones, by the Leydig cells of the testes. It is metabolized in the adipose tissues and saliva glands, and also partly in the liver. The androstenone content in the adipose tissues depends mostly on genetic factors but also on the onset of puberty and weight of the animal. Skatole originates from the cell debris of the gut mucosa and it is produced by the intestinal bacterial metabolism of the amino acid L-tryptophan. Most of the skatole is absorbed into the blood and transported to the liver, where most of it is degraded and excreted in the urine. Skatole concentration may be influenced by genetic, feeding, and environmental factors. During the heating of pork meat, androstenone causesa urine-like odor and skatole fecal-like odor. In the present review, we discuss the metabolic (hormonal and enzymatic) factors, nutritional, and environmental factors that control the levels of skatole deposition in fatty tissuesas well as the genetic factors that controlling androstenone synthesis and deposition.

31.03.2017