Patent ID: 7981686

Claim:
A method of assessing body odor using as an index an indicator material comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of the substances (C) and (D) a substance (C) which is an alcohol compound having a mercapto group at the 3-position represented by the following formula (2): wherein R3 is a hydrogen atom or methyl group; R4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbons; and R5 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, the total number of carbons in the formula (2) is 8 or less; and a substance (D) which is a derivative of an alcohol compound having a mercapto group at the 3-position, wherein an atom(s) or an atom group(s) is introduced to a mercapto group and/or a hydroxyl group of an alcohol compound having a mercapto group at the 3-position represented by the formula (2) said method comprising measuring the amount and the presence of said substance in a sample obtained from an axillary region of a subject and assessing said body odor by comparing the amount and the presence of said indicator material to a standard data obtained preliminarily; the standard data indicating that the presence of said indicator material in the sample represents an apocrine odor and the absence of said indicator material in the sample represents a lack of apocrine odor.