Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T03:29:36.398Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Inter-laboratory comparison of methods to measure androstenone in pork fat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2011

S. Ampuero Kragten*
Affiliation:
Chemical Department, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station ALP, Tioleyre 4, 1725 Posieux, Switzerland
B. Verkuylen
Affiliation:
Instrumental Analysis, Co-operative Central Laboratory CCL, PO Box 107, 5460 AC Veghel, The Netherlands
H. Dahlmans
Affiliation:
Instrumental Analysis, Co-operative Central Laboratory CCL, PO Box 107, 5460 AC Veghel, The Netherlands
M. Hortos
Affiliation:
Functionality and Nutrition, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries IRTA, Food Technology, Finca Camps i Armet 17121 Monells, Spain
J. A. Garcia-Regueiro
Affiliation:
Functionality and Nutrition, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries IRTA, Food Technology, Finca Camps i Armet 17121 Monells, Spain
E. Dahl
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, PO Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
O. Andresen
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, PO Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway
H. Feitsma
Affiliation:
Research and Development Department, Institute for Pig Genetics B.V., PO Box 43, 6640 AA Beuningen, The Netherlands
P. K. Mathur
Affiliation:
Research and Development Department, Institute for Pig Genetics B.V., PO Box 43, 6640 AA Beuningen, The Netherlands
B. Harlizius
Affiliation:
Research and Development Department, Institute for Pig Genetics B.V., PO Box 43, 6640 AA Beuningen, The Netherlands
*
Get access

Abstract

Today, different analytical methods are used by different laboratories to quantify androstenone in fat tissue. This study shows the comparison of methods used routinely in different laboratories for androstenone quantification: Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay in Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NSVS; Norway), gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in Co-operative Central Laboratory (CCL; The Netherlands) and in Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA; Spain), and high-pressure liquid chromatography in Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station (ALP; Switzerland). In a first trial, a set of adipose tissue (AT) samples from 53 entire males was sent to CCL, IRTA and NSVS for determination of androstenone concentration. The average androstenone concentration (s.d.) was 2.47 (2.10) μg/g at NSVS, 1.31 (0.98) μg/g at CCL and 0.62 (0.52) μg/g at IRTA. Despite the large differences in absolute values, inter-laboratory correlations were high, ranging from 0.82 to 0.92. A closer look showed differences in the preparation step. Indeed, different matrices were used for the analysis: pure fat at NSVS, melted fat at CCL and AT at IRTA. A second trial was organised in order to circumvent the differences in sample preparation. Back fat samples from 10 entire males were lyophilised at the ALP labortary in Switzerland and were sent to the other laboratories for androstenone concentration measurement. The average concentration (s.d.) of androstenone in the freeze-dried AT samples was 0.87 (0.52), 1.03 (0.55), 0.84 (0.46) and 0.99 (0.67) μg/g at NSVS, CCL, IRTA and ALP, respectively, and the pairwise correlations between laboratories ranged from 0.92 to 0.97. Thus, this study shows the influence of the different sample preparation protocols, leading to major differences in the results, although still allowing high inter-laboratory correlations. The results further highlight the need for method standardisation and inter-laboratory ring tests for the determination of androstenone. This standardisation is especially relevant when deriving thresholds of consumer acceptance, whereas the ranking of animals for breeding purposes will be less affected due to the high correlations between methods.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andresen, Ø 1974. Development of a radioimmunoassay for 5-alpha-androst-16-en-3-one in pig peripheral plasma. Acta Endocrinologica 76, 377378.Google ScholarPubMed
Andresen, Ø 1975. 5a-Androstenone in peripheral plasma of pigs, diurnal variation in boars, effects of intravenous HCG administration and castration. Acta Endocrinologica 78, 385391.Google ScholarPubMed
Annor-Frempong, IE, Nute, GR, Whittington, FW, Wood, JD 1997. The problem of taint in pork- III. Odour profile of pork fat and the interrelationships between androstenone, skatole and indole concentrations. Meat Science 47, 6376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Babol, J, Squires, EJ, Gullett, EA 2002. Factors affecting the level of boar taint in entire male pigs as assessed by consumer sensory panel. Meat Science 61, 3340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bañón, S, Costa, E, Gil, MD, Garrido, MD 2003. A comparative study of boar taint in cooked and dry-cured meat. Meat Science 63, 381388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bonneau, M, Kempster, AJ, Claus, R, Claudi-Magnussen, C, Diestre, A, Tornberg, E, Walstra, P, Chevillon, P, Weiler, U, Cook, GL 2000. An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: I. Presentation of the programme and measurement of boar taint compounds with different analytical procedures. Meat Science 54, 251259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, G, Zamaratskaia, G, Andersson, HK, Lundström, K 2007. Effects of raw potato starch and live weigth on fat and plasma skatole, indole and androstenone levels measured by different methods in entire male pigs. Food Chemistry 101, 439448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Claus, R 1970. Bestimmung von Testosteron und 5α-androst-16-en-3-on, einem Ebergeruchsstoff bei Schweinen, Dissertation, Technische Hochschule München-Weihenstephan, 144pp.Google Scholar
Claus, R 1974. Dosage radioimmunologique du 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, stéroid responsable de l'odeur de verrat, dans le tissue adipeux du porcs. Comptes-rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences 278, 299302.Google Scholar
Claus, R, Mahler, G, Münster, E 1988. Determination of the boar taint steroid 5a-androst-16-en-3-one in adipose tissue of pigs with a rapid microtitre plate enzyme-immunoassay (MTE). Archive für Lebensmittelhygiene 39, 8790.Google Scholar
Claus, R, Herbert, E, Dehnhard, M 1997. Comparative determination of the boar taint steroid androstenone in pig adipose tissue by a rapid enzyme immunoassay and an HPLC-method. Archiv für Lebensmittelhygiene 48, 2548.Google Scholar
Font i Furnols, M, Gispert, M, Guerrero, L, Velarde, A, Tibau, J, Soler, J, Hortós, M, García-Regueiro, JA, Pérez, J, Suárez, P, Oliver, MA 2008. Consumers’ sensory acceptability of pork from immunocastrated male pigs. Meat Science 80, 10131018.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen-Møller, J 1994. Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of androstenone, skatole and indole in back fat from pigs. Journal of Chromatography B 661, 219230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mågård, MA, Berg, HEB, Tagesson, V, Jaremo, MLG, Karlsson, LLH, Mathiasson, LJE, Bonneau, M, Hansen-Møller, J 1995. Determination of androstenone in pig fat using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 43, 114120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthews, KR, Homer, DB, Punter, P, Beague, MP, Gispert, M, Kempster, AJ, Agerhem, H, Claudi-Magnussen, C, Fischer, K, Siret, F, Leask, H, Font i Furnols, M, Bonneau, M 2000. An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint. III. Consumer survey in seven European countries. Meat Science 54, 271283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pauly, C, Spring, P, O'Doherty, JV, Ampuero Kragten, S, Bee, G 2008. Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and raw potato starch enriched diet. Animal 2, 17071715.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pauly, C, Spring, P, O'Doherty, JV, Ampuero Kragten, S, Bee, G 2009. Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs. Animal 3, 10571066.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pauly, C, Spring-Staehli, P, O'Doherty, JV, Ampuero Kragten, S, Dubois, S, Messadène, J, Bee, G 2010. The effects of method castration, rearing condition and diet on sensory quality of pork assessed by a trained panel. Meat Science 86, 498504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rius, MA, García-Regueiro, JA 1988. Analysis of androstenone in pig back fat by solid-phase extraction and GC_MS. In Proceedings of the 44th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology (ed. A Diestre and JM Monfort), pp. 584585. IRTA-Eurocarne-INIA, Barcelona, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Rius, MA, Hortós, M, García-Regueiro, JA 2005. Influence of volatile compounds on the development of off-flavours in pig back fat samples classified with boar taint by a test panel. Meat Science 71, 595602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Squires, EJ, Lundström, K 1997. Relationship between cytochrome P450IIE1 in liver and levels of skatole and its metabolites in intact male pigs. Journal of Animal Science 75, 25062511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuomola, M, Hakala, M, Manninen, P 1998. Determination of androstenone in pig fat using packed column supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography B 719, 2530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuomola, M, Harpio, R, Knuuttila, P, Mikola, H, Lövgren, T 1997. Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for the measurement of androstenone in porcine serum and fat samples. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 45, 35293534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verheyden, K, Noppe, H, Aluwé, M, Millet, S, Vanden Bussche, J, De Brabander, HF 2007. Development and validation of a method for simultaneous analysis of the boar taint compounds indole, skatole and androstenone in pig fat using liquid chromatography-multiple mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A 1174, 132137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walstra, P, Claudi-Magnussen, C, Chevillon, P, von Seth, G, diestre, A, Matthews, KR, Homer, DB, Bonneau, M 1999. An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: levels of androstenone and skatole by country and season. Livestock Production Science 62, 1528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiler, U, Font i Furnols, M, Fisher, K, Kemmer, H, Oliver, MA, Gispert, M, Dobrowolski, A, Claus, R 2000. Influence of differences in sensitivity of Spanish and German consumers to perceive androstenone on the acceptance of boar meat differing in skatole and androstenone concentrations. Meat Science 54, 297304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed