Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Clinical Techniques
  • Published:

Use of the Phadebas amylase test to assess the presence of rodent saliva

Lab Animal volume 45, pages 433–434 (2016)Cite this article

Victoria Hampshire, VMD, Column Editor

When evaluating how animals use enrichment devices that are designed to be gnawed or chewed, it can be difficult to accurately assess if the animal has engaged in the intended behavior. Examination of the device for tooth marks and behavioral observations can assist in this evaluation, but both of these assessments have the potential to miss interactions with some devices, especially those manufactured from hard plastics. For example, comparisons between wooden and plastic devices are challenging as the latter is less likely to carry imprint marks than the former. Being able to detect saliva would give a definitive measure of whether a device had been used for gnawing as intended.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The steps to complete the Phadebas press test.
Figure 2: Results of the urine assessment.
Figure 3: Results of the saliva assessment.

References

  1. International Honey Commission. Harmonised Methods of the International Honey Commission. Phadebas http://www.phadebas.com/data/phadebas/files/document/Harmonised_methods_of_the_International_Honey_Commission.pdf (2009).

  2. Hedman, J., Gustavsson, K. & Ansell, R. Using the new Phadebas Forensic Press test to find crime scene saliva stains suitable for DNA analysis. Forensic Sci. Int. Genetics Supplement Series 1, 430–432 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Whitehead, P. H. & Kipps, A. E. A test paper for detecting saliva stains. J. Forensic Sci. Soc. 15, 39–42 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Phadebas. Phadebas Forensic Press Test—an overview. Phadebas http://www.phadebas.com/areas-of-use/forensic-biology/Overview-of-the-Press-Test (2016).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory Animal Resource Center, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

    Anjali Prakash & Debra L. Hickman

  2. Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

    Sarah E. Lewis

  3. Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

    Anjali Prakash & Debra L. Hickman

Authors
  1. Anjali Prakash
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah E. Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Debra L. Hickman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Debra L. Hickman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Prakash, A., Lewis, S. & Hickman, D. Use of the Phadebas amylase test to assess the presence of rodent saliva. Lab Anim 45, 433–434 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.1134

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.1134

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing