20.500.12556/DKUM-88231 Male reproductive organ weight criteria for detection of androstenone-positive carcasses in immunocastrated and antire male pigs Immunocastration and rearing of entire males (EMs) are sustainable alternatives to surgical castration. However, these animal carcasses have variable risk of boar taint and should be identified at the slaughter line. We aimed to identify a simple and reliable indicator of androstenone-related boar taint by evaluating pelvic urogenital tract weight as a marker of boar-taint animals at the slaughter line. The pelvic urogenital tract, testes, and accessory sex glands of EMs and immunocastrates (ICs) were collected, dissected, and weighed, before colorimetric measurements of testicular tissue. Additionally, GnRH antibody titers and testosterone, androstenone, and skatole levels were determined. Our results showed that 81.8% of EMs had androstenone levels above the risk threshold (>0.5 µg/g fat; EM/Ahigh subgroup), whereas in ICs, the C/Ahigh subgroup with androstenone >0.5 µg/g fat accounted for only 4.3%. Androstenone levels correlated negatively with GnRH antibody titers and positively with testosterone levels and reproductive organ weights. Identification of ICs with androstenone levels above the threshold (IC/Ahigh subgroup) may be achieved via testes or pelvic urogenital tract weight measurements. However, in EMs, the latter is a more reliable parameter. A principal component analysis based on these variables and hierarchical clustering also distinguished the Ahigh from the Alow subgroup, irrespective of IC/EM. The findings highlight the possible use of pelvic urogenital tract weight along with testes weight as a simple, reliable, and efficient morphometric indicator for identifying androstenone-positive carcasses of different sex categories. boar taint morphometric indicators immunocastration entire males morfometrični kazalniki imunokastracija samci true false true MDPI Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Znanstveno delo 2024-04-11 13:29:47 2024-04-11 14:25:15 2024-04-12 03:51:16 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2023 0 0 Str. 1-11 Št 12, št. članka 2042 Letn. 13 2023 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2023-05-26 2023-06-19 2023-06-20 636.09:618.1 156625667 10.3390/ani13122042 2076-2615 Fazarinc-2023-Male_Reproductive_Organ_Weight_.pdf Fazarinc-2023-Male_Reproductive_Organ_Weight_.pdf 1 91AD518873FF2C0649729985862806E9 96d91e08cf488faf4142e3887ac5c55a037deca303bd19517a0059620f806d70 58d87735-f7fd-11ee-91bf-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=178332 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13122042 0 ce2d6c9b-f7f6-11ee-91bf-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=178313 Fakulteta za kmetijstvo in biosistemske vede 0 0 0