Role of 4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one in Boar Taint:  Identification of New Compounds Related to Sensorial Descriptors in Pig Fat

The possible contribution of other compounds to the development of boar taint in fat samples with low concentrations of skatole and androstenone and classified as tainted was evaluated by GC-MS in the SCAN mode. Skatole and androstenone were determined by normal phase HPLC and GC-MS, respectively. For the identification of other compounds fat samples were purified with a gel filtration column and the second fraction was saponified at room temperature with KOH/3 N MeOH. 4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one was the main compound identified in the fat samples, and its identification was corroborated by comparison with a standard solution obtained from a commercial source and by HPLC. The sensorial analysis of 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one showed its possible contribution to boar taint. The possible contribution of phenol derivatives and short-chain fatty acids was also evaluated. Keywords: Boar taint; skatole; androstenone; 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one