Effectiveness of PCR analysis based on Cyt bgene primers for detecting adulteration in sausage products

Abstract

Introduction and Objective. Meat adulteration, particularly the substitution of high-value meat species with cheaper alternatives, represents a significant challenge for the food industry and veterinary control systems. Thus, this study aimedto evaluate the effectiveness of a developed PCR analysis protocol based on the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene for detecting adulteration in meat products.

Materials and Methods. In this study,samples of horse meat, beef, lamb, pork, and chicken were analyzed, as well as samples of commercial meat products, including 15 types of sausage products. Total DNA was extracted from each type of meat product and analyzed by PCR using species-specific primers targeting the mitochondrial Cyt b gene. PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis in a 1% agarose gel.

Results. The proposed approach enables reliable identification of the animal species origin of meat, even in the presence of thermal processing or mixed ingredients. Comparative analysis of the obtained nucleotide sequences confirmed 100% species specificity of the PCR amplification of DNA from all analyzed animals, indicating the high accuracy and reproducibility of the developed analytical system. The results confirm the efficiency and high specificity of the PCR method based on the Cyt b gene for detecting adulteration in meat products.

Conclusion. A PCR-based method for species identification of meat products based on the Cyt b gene was developed. The proposed method isan effective tool for ensuring the quality and safety of meat products, providing high specificity of species identification and enabling the detection of adulteration in complex food matrices and thermally processed products. Compared with existing methods, the analysis is performed for each sample in a separate reaction tube, which allows reliable confirmation of the authenticity of all components.