EN
Corticoids are a group of vital hormones. Measuring the corticoid concentration in plasma, saliva, hair or feathers, and the amount of glucocorticoids or their metabolites in urine or faeces offers valuable information for clinical diagnosis, livestock management, animal welfare, and conservation biology. Disturbances of animals influence the endogenous glucocorticoid production, but a careful selection of the sample matrix can overcome some of the sampling difficulties. Some matrices also offer new possibilities, especially post hoc information about the adrenal status. Since most glucocorticoids are excreted as metabolites, the biological activity of these substances is covered in this respect.