Identification of Meat Species Using PCR-RFLP Marker of Cytochrome b Gene

Food labeling regulations require that the meat species in various meat products are accurately declared to the consumer. Substitution or adulteration of costly meat with a cheaper one is one of the most common problems in the meat industry. In this study, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) method of the mitochondrial cytochrome b(mt cyt b) gene has been applied for identification of the origin of six mammalian meat species(beef, port horse, goat, mutton and deer) and three poultry meat species(chicken, turkey and duck) as raw materials for meat products. PCR was used to amplify a variable region of mt cyt b gene. Meat species differentiation was determined by digestion of the amplified products with a 359 bp fragment using HaeIII and HinfI restriction enzymes, which generated species-specific RFLP patterns. This PCR-RFLP DNA marker of mt cyt b gene could be very useful for the accurate and reliable identification and discrimination of animal meat species in routine analysis.