Application of DNA Analysis in Quantifying Cashmere and Wool Binary Blend

Cashmere is one of the finest and softest animal fibers used by textile industry. False declaration is quite common due to its scarcity and high economic value. We have developed an objective method for quantifying cashmere and wool mixture based on DNA technology. Mitochondrial DNA, a species-specific genetic material exists in each cell, presenting a relatively strong capacity to resist physical and chemical treatments, seems to be an ideal target for species identification. As goat and sheep belong to a different genus, a real-time PCR based analysis method for quantifying cashmere and wool mixture was developed. Cashmere collected from different countries and regions were employed to prove its effectiveness. Dyed samples provided by CCMI round trial showed that it is a reliable and objective method. Various cashmere products of different processing stages were tested with the method. Results showed that the method can be applied in authenticity inspection of commercial products.