Androstenone

Androstenone is a steroid-like pheromone. It is found in boar's saliva, celery cytoplasm, and truffle fungus. Androstenone was the first mammalian pheromone to be identified. It is found in high concentrations in the saliva of male pigs, and, when inhaled by a female pig that is in heat, results in the female assuming the mating stance. Androstenone is the active ingredient in many pheromone colognes.

Chemical structure and properties

Androstenone, or 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, is a steroidal pheromone and neurosteroid in pigs, acting in the olfactory system. It is synthesized from androstadienone by the enzyme 5α-reductase, and it can be converted into androstenol by the enzyme 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

Biological function

In humans, androstenone also has been suggested to be a pheromone; however, scientific data to support those claims are weak. The Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom states that "although it was once thought that humans had lost their sense of smell, research has shown that human pheromones do affect our behaviour." In humans, androstenone has been suggested to affect mood and sexual behavior, but these effects are controversial.

See also

• Androstenol
• Pheromone
• Neurosteroid

Androstenone Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski