Archives

Page No. : 107-110

ABSTRACT

In the present study species-specific PCR was applied for identification of ovine-caprine species in fresh and cooked meat. The primer pair used was based on mitochondrial DNA gene sequence, which is highly conserved in nature to specifically differentiate ovine-caprine species from bovine (cattle and buffalo), porcine (pig) and chicken. The PCR specifically amplified the 225 bp fragments from ovine-caprine mitochondrial DNA extracted from fresh and cooked meat. No cross reactivity was observed with bovine, porcine and poultry species used in present work. No adverse effects on PCR amplification of ovine-caprine DNA extracted from meat cooked in boiling water and autoclaved meat (at 121°C, 15 psi for 30 min) was found. The results showed that this PCR assay was a powerful tool for rapid and specific identification of ovine-caprine species in meat and meat products.

Keywords: Cooked meat, PCR, species identification