The influences of Androstenol

On mood throughout the menstrual

cycle

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=689160 8&dopt=Citation



Each morning for a month female subjects placed either 5 alpha-androst-16-en-3 alpha-ol, a putative human

pheromone, or a placebo on the upper lip. Each evening the subjects rated on five scales their moods during that

day. In the middle of their monthly cycle those females exposed to androstenol rather than a control tended to rate

their moods as submissive rather than aggressive. The compound did not significantly influence ratings of being

happy/depressed; lethargic/lively; sexy/unsexy; irritable/good-tempered. The results are discussed in terms of the

possible increased olfactory sensitivity of the human female to androstenol in the middle of her monthly cycle



On male choice

performance

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=360842 6&dopt=Ci

tation

A natural secretion, 5 alpha-androst-16-en-3 alpha-ol (androstenol) is speculated to function as a

spacing pheromone. The effect of the odor of androstenol on restroom-stall choices was investigated over a 5-week

period. The first, third, and fifth weeks served as baselines against which the effect of androstenol or a control

odor, 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-17-one (androsterone) could be evaluated. During the second and fourth

weeks, half of the stalls in each restroom were treated with androstenol or androsterone, respectively. As

predicted, men avoided the treated stalls during the androstenol week only, and neither odor affected female stall

selection, demonstrating a sex differential influence of the experimental odor.