“…Zootec., v.68, n.6, p.1487-1496, 2016 The consumer's change of attitude regarding a higher demand for lean meat combined with lower production costs associated to uncastrated males lead to the elimination of castration in cattle and sheep farming (Andreo et al, 2013). However, this procedure in the swine species is still recurrent is some countries, such as Brazil, due to the androsterone, a steroid produced in the animal's testicles during sexual maturity, which exhales an unpleasant smell during the cooking of the meat which causes rejection of the meat by the consumers (Iocca et al, 2015). In this context, studies are necessary for the development of viable alternatives to the conventional surgical castration of male piglets, still practiced in the majority of swine farms in Brazil and, largely, without the use of anesthetic drugs (Leclercq et al, 2014).…”