A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the analysis of skatole and indole in porcine tissue and serum samples. The sensitivity of the method for tissue and serum samples was 1 ng/g and 0.1 ng/mL, respectively. The skatole content in adipose tissue (fat) was higher ( p < 0.0001) in boars (median 39 ng/g, n = 91) than in barrows (24 ng/g, n = 96) or gilts (17 ng/g, n = 85). The corresponding levels of skatole in serum were 1.9, 1.4, and 1.1 ng/mL, respectively. Significant correlations ( p < 0.0001) were found between boar serum and fat levels of skatole ( r = 0.90) and indole ( r = 0.65). Elevated skatole levels were found exclusively in boars, of which 9.9% exceeded the 200 ng/g limit in fat. Skatole concentrations were 8-fold lower in the salivary glands than in the fat samples, and they were ( p < 0.0001) correlated with both fat and serum concentrations. On the basis of the close correlation between fat and serum skatole levels, it is proposed that serum measurements could be used for routine assessment of skatole in pork meat, a factor contributing to boar taint.
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Tuomola et al. (1996) studied this question.