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Gestagens and glucocorticoids in chicken eggs
S Rettenbacher1, E Möstl, T G G Groothuis
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria. sophie.rettenbacher@vu-wien.ac.at
General and Comparative Endocrinology
|June 9, 2009
Summary
Chicken egg yolks may contain progesterone and its precursors, not corticosterone. Previous assays may have misidentified these steroids due to antibody cross-reactivity, impacting maternal hormone transfer research.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Endocrinology
- Avian physiology
Background:
- Avian eggs contain maternal steroids influencing offspring development.
- Studies often focus on androgens, but progesterone and other steroids are also present.
- The presence of corticosterone in chicken eggs is debated, with prior validation failing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of corticosterone in chicken egg yolk.
- To identify potential cross-reacting steroids in corticosterone immunoassays.
- To characterize steroid hormone profiles in different yolk regions.
Main Methods:
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of chicken yolk extracts.
- Measurement of immunoreactive corticosterone, progesterone, and cortisol using immunoassays.
- Separate analysis of inner and outer yolk regions.
Main Results:
- Progesterone antibody cross-reacted with progesterone, pregnenolone, and other steroids.
- Corticosterone immunoassay detected substances overlapping with progesterone assay peaks.
- A small corticosterone peak was observed, but likely masked by other steroids.
- Concentrations of immunoreactive substances varied between inner and outer yolk regions.
- Immunoreactive cortisol was not detected.
Conclusions:
- Homogenized chicken yolk extracts without clean-up may overestimate corticosterone levels.
- Measured corticosterone may represent progesterone and its precursors (pregnanes, pregnenolone).
- Regional differences in yolk suggest localized steroidogenic activity during oocyte growth.
