An improved microtitre enzyme immunoassay to measure the boar taint steroid 5α-androst-16-en-3-one in blood plasma of pigs.

Androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one) is a volatile steroid which is synthesized in boar testes and stored in high amounts in fat thus leading to an urine-like odor in pork. Whereas microtiter assays (MTA) exist for fat determination, measurement in blood with MTA was not yet possible. The system reported here is based on a specific antiserum and a horse radish peroxidase conjugate as tracer.