Factors affecting the pheromone composition of voided boar saliva

Abstract

The pheromone binding protein 'pheromaxein' which binds the pheromonal 16-androstene steroids in the saliva of the male pig (boar), was degraded and lost its binding activity in saliva incubated in air for 72 h at 21°C and 37°C. However, pheromaxein and its binding activity were retained in saliva incubated for 168 h at 4°C. When the 3H-labelled pheromones 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol (3α-androstenol), 5α-androst-16-en-3-one (5α-androstenone) and 5α-androst-16-en-3β-ol (3β-androstenol) were incubated with boar saliva for 168 h at 21°C, 3α-androstenol was primarily converted to 5α-androstenone and 5α-androstenone to 3β-adrostenol; 3β-androstenol was unchanged. Evidence was obtained for microorganisms being responsible for these steroid transformations.