Molecular identification of adulteration in mutton based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene

The aim of this study is to set up a protocol for identification of the adulteration in mutton based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. The multiplex polymerase chain reaction (multi-PCR) assay was carried out to trace the impure DNA in mutton. A universal primer pair yielded an approximate 610 bp fragment in mutton, pork, duck, chicken, horse and cat meats. The amplicons of multi-PCR assay represented the species-specific products, which could be discriminated by the size ranging from 106 bp to 532 bp. Subsequently, the authentication of each fragment was also confirmed by sequencing. Random analyses of adulterants with various meats yielded the identical results to their components, showing the suitability of the multi-PCR assay for tracing of adulterant meats with high-accuracy and precision. This assay was sensitive to detect the species-specific DNA in different proportional mixtures of mutton and duck/pork (9.1%-90.9%). In conclusion, this multi-PCR assay successfully discriminated the double-, triple-, quadruple-, and quintuple-mixtures containing variant counterparts. This method will be particularly useful in the detection of mutton adulteration in processed foods further.