IDENTIFICATION OF BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) MEAT USING PCR TARGETING MITOCHONDRIAL D-LOOP GENE

A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the identification of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) meat using newly designed primers targeting the mitochondrial D-loop region. Buffalo-specific primers were designed against a conserved region of mitochondrial d-loop that amplified buffalo specific region of 358 bp in size. The specificity of primers was confirmed by PCR analysis of DNA from related domestic animal meats i.e. cattle, goat, sheep, pig and chicken. The PCR assay was checked for repeatability using DNA isolated from different buffalo meat samples and was validated. Buffalo species-specific PCR developed in this study presents a means of identification of buffalo meat as a reliable tool to avoid the fraudulent substitution and adulteration of buffalo meat.