Identification of potential pheromone source in sows

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior
• Reproductive Biology
• Chemical Ecology

Background:

• Pheromones are crucial for mammalian communication, particularly in reproduction and social behavior.
• While boar saliva is known to contain pheromones, identifying other sources in sows is vital for understanding pig reproductive behaviors.
• Previous research has established the role of pheromones in boar-pig communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary sources of pheromones in sows.
• To investigate the relative abundance and behavioral responses to pheromones in different sow bodily fluids.
• To determine if sow urine contains pheromones detectable by boars.

Main Methods:

• Collected urine, feces, saliva, and cervical mucus/vaginal wash samples from sows at different reproductive stages (pre-estrus, estrus, post-estrus) and from gilts.
• Exposed boars to these samples and recorded their sniffing and hypersalivation behaviors.
• Statistically analyzed behavioral responses to determine significant differences between sample types and reproductive states.

Main Results:

• Boars displayed significantly increased sniffing and hypersalivation in response to urine from sows in estrus compared to non-estrus sows and gilts.
• Behavioral responses, including sniffing and salivation, differed significantly between estrus samples and samples from non-estrus sows and gilts.
• These findings indicate a high abundance of pheromones in the urine of estrus sows.

Conclusions:

• Urine from sows in estrus is a rich source of pheromones.
• This urine can serve as a valuable resource for the identification, purification, and characterization of novel pheromone molecules.
• The study confirms the role of urine-borne pheromones in mediating boar sexual behavior.