Zoological Studies

Chemical Identification and Bioactivity of Rat (Rattus rattus) Urinary Compounds

Ramasamy Selvaraj and Govindaraju Archunan (2002) House rat urine was analyzed to identify the chemical compounds by gas chromatography-linked mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Male rat urine contained ethanol,2-(octylthio) (I), 1,3,5 triazone-2,4-diamine (II), and 1-chlorodecane (III). Similarly, female urine (during estrus) had the 3 compounds hydroperoxide (IV), 1-nitropentane (V), and 4-azidoheptane (VI). The bioactivity of these identified compounds were assayed using a Y-maze apparatus. Odor preference test revealed that the identified compounds show opposite-sex as well as same-sex attraction. Male urinary compounds such as ethanol,2-(octylthio) (I) and 1-chlorodecane (III) exhibited an attraction to the opposite sex, whereas the compound 1,3,5 triazone-2,4-diamine (II) was shown to attract the same sex. However, the compounds hydroperoxide and 4-azidoheptane were found to show maximum response in the attraction of the opposite sex. By contrast, the compound 1-nitropentane attracted both sexes, with a maximum response to the opposite sex. The results indicate that the compounds identified in the male urine are sex specific. The present investigations also show that rat urine contains a mixture of volatile compounds whose bioactivities differ from compound to compound.