Some Possibilities for Influence on the Stress Level and the Boar Taint in Pigs by Estrogens

Abstract

ABSTRACTImmature female pigs from the Danube white breed at the age of 2.5 months, were treated only once intramuscularly with 17, β-estradiol or diethylstilbestrol dipropionate—100 μg kg−1 body weight. The corticosteroid concentration in the blood plasma has been determined fluorimetrically. At the third hour after the estrogen administration the level of the plasma corticosteroids increased by 33–35% and at the 24th hour it showed values equal to those obtained before the hormonal treatment. The possibility for the estrogens to participate in the raising of the adaptive potentialities of the pigs to different stress factors is assumed. Male non-castrated pigs from the same breed, fattened to 110 kg were treated for 5 days before the slaughter intramuscularly daily with diethylstilbestrol dipropionate—50 μg kg−1 body weight. The individual levels of indoles have been determined fluorimetrically in protein-free extracts of blood plasma. The values in the treated animals are lower than in the control. The possibility of the estrogens to lessen the specific unpleasant odour of boar meat due to indoles to a great extent is supposed.