[Model studies on incubated hen's eggs for the detection of synthetic gestagens within the framework of residue...

Reported in this paper are model experiments with the incubated hen's egg, since an easily practicable and sufficiently accurate biological testing procedure has long been necessary for the detection of gestagen residues, in the context of food hygiene testing. The gestagens chloromadinone acetate and megestrol acetate were identified as pure substance in concentrations as low as 1 microgram/egg. These gestagens had caused in hatched chickens significant reduction in body weight as well as conspicuous loss of feathers or growth of stubble feathers. However, the same effects were not obtainable from normethisterone acetate or norgestrel.