Cuboni Test & A-Z Test – Species Used

Cuboni test & Ascheim-Zondek test (A-Z test) are the methods of pregnancy diagnosis in:

Correct Answer: Mare

Both the Cuboni test and the Aschheim-Zondek (A-Z) test are pregnancy diagnosis methods used specifically in the mare (horse).

Cuboni Test

• Detects estrogens (specifically estrone sulfate) in the urine of pregnant mare.
• Urine of pregnant mare from ~120 days onward contains high levels of equine estrogens produced by the feto-placental unit.
• A fluorescence reaction (greenish fluorescence under UV light) confirms pregnancy.

Aschheim-Zondek (A-Z) Test

• Detects PMSG (Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin) — now called eCG (Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin) — in the serum of pregnant mare.
• PMSG is produced by endometrial cups from about 40 to 120 days of pregnancy.
• The A-Z test uses injection of the mare's serum into immature female mice; if ovarian follicles develop, PMSG is present → pregnancy confirmed.

Summary of Equine Pregnancy Diagnosis

• Cuboni test → detects estrogen in urine ✔
• A-Z test → detects PMSG in serum ✔
• Both are specific to the mare.