Identification of cattle (Ox) meat by species-specific PCR assay of cytochrome b gene

Species-specific PCR technique targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was used for cattle meat identification. The published cattle specific primer pair with amplicon size of 113 bp was tested for cross reactivity with buffalo, sheep, goat and pig meat. An intense band in cattle meat whereas a relatively faint band of similar size fragments in buffalo was observed at reported annealing temperature. In the sheep, goat and pig, there was no amplification. In order to eliminate the cross reactivity of cattle specific primer in buffalo, amplification was carried out at the higher annealing temperature 67.0°C at which species-specific fragment was obtained only in cattle meat. Thus, the species specificity of the cattle specific primer for indigenous cattle meat was substantiated.