Epoxide-quinone transformations: Multi-parametric indicators for assessing animal welfare

The use of a novel epoxide label system as the basis of a new approach to monitoring thiol species relevant to animal welfare contexts is presented. The need for the development of on-site/field testing is demonstrated through the analysis of equine saliva before and after exercise and the implication of delays in the analysis process exposed. The system is selective for thiols and, in contrast to simpler labelling systems, could offer potential for speciation studies. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.