Comparison of mice, guinea-pigs and sheep as test animals for bioassay of oestrogenic pasture legumes

F.H.W. Morley, D. Bennett, A.W.H. Braden, K.E. Turnbull and A. Axelsen

CSIRO, Australia

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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1968, 28: 11-21

The activity of orally administered oestrogenic clovers relative to stilboestrol was several times higher in the rodents than in sheep. Interactions between plant genotype and animal species indicated that sheep responded mainly to formononetin, although it is likely that there were also responses to other substances. Mice and guinea-pigs appeared to respond mainly to genistein, and perhaps biochanin A.

Tests for oestrogens in pastures which use mice or guinea-pigs as test animals may therefore be misleading if extrapolated to sheep, and perhaps also to cattle.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;