A novel method for identifying shahtoosh

Shahtoosh, the down hair of the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), is the noblest and most expensive wool in the world. The population of the animal has declined dramatically due to commercial poaching for the fiber. Traditional inspection for detection of shahtoosh has been performed by microscopic analysis. We developed a TaqMan real-time PCR-based DNA analysis method for identifying shahtoosh fibers. A set of probe and primers for the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene that binds specifically to Tibetan antelope DNA was designed. A signal was detected with sensitivity to the 1:10,000 dilution of shahtoosh DNA. A fiber mixture of 1% of shahtoosh mixed with cashmere and even a single fiber can be detected with this method. The method is faster, more cost-effective and more sensitive than other traditional sequencing methods and can be directly applied to identify shahtoosh and its processed products, which will be of value in illegal trade investigations.