Abstract
Odor similarity to the odor of 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone (I) was measured on eight rats by generalization of a conditioned avoidance response tocis- andtrans-8-mercapto-p-menthan-3-one (II and III), 3-mercapto-3-methyl-2-pentanone (V), andt-amyl mercaptan (VI). Previously, these odorants had been found to induce stress in rats in an open-field situation. In the present experiment, rats generalized the avoidance response learned with I, for V, VI, and to a lesser extenttrans-isomer III, implying odor similarities;cis isomer II was discriminated. Odor similarity between mercapto ketone I and mercaptan VI is surprising since VI lacks the keto group.
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Fombon, A.M., Polak, E.H. Odor similarity between stress-inducing odorants in wistar rats. J Chem Ecol 13, 153–166 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01020359
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01020359