Abstract: A rapid method for simultaneously quantifying the amount of compounds related to boar taint such as skatole, androstenone and indole is described. With the reduction in the number of male pigs being castrated, the number of pigs with an amount of compounds related to boar taint above a defined sensorial threshold will increase. The method for simultaneously quantifying the amount of compounds related to boar taint such as skatole, androstenone and indole is based on an extraction of the compounds, desorption of compounds by heating the sample e.g. with a laser; optionally ionizing one or more of the desorbed compounds to produce one or more ions detectable by mass spectrometry; and quantifying the amount of one or more of the ions produced by mass spectrometry. The method makes it possible to obtain results from one sample each 10 seconds and more than 360 samples per hour can be analyzed.

Abstract: The present invention relates, in one aspect, to the use of a secretagogue compound for the preparation of a medicament for the prophylaxis or treatment of cancer cachexia in an individual in need of such treatment. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the use of a ghrelin-like compound for the preparation of a medicament for prophylaxis or treatment of cachexia in an individual by administering a subcutaneous dosage of said medicament to the individual. In a further aspect, the present invention relates to the use of a ghrelin-like compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof for the preparation of a medicament for stimulation of appetite in an individual by administering a subcutaneous dosage of said medicament to the individual. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a number of new ghrelin-like compounds and uses thereof, as well as to pharmaceutical compositions and medical packaging comprising the new ghrelin-like compounds.

Abstract: Compounds of the invention act as inverse agonist ghrelin receptors. Some of the compounds of the invention may have both inverse agonistic and antagonistic properties as they both decrease or eliminate the constitutive activity of he ghrelin receptor and block the effect of ghrelin. Other preferred compounds of the invention have inverse agonistic properties but have little or no antagonistic activity. The compounds are suitable for medical and/or cosmetic use in connection with modulation of feeding behaviors, body composition and reduction of body mass. The invention also relates to methods for identifying inverse agonists for the ghrelin receptor and for monitoring the further development of such compounds.