Detection of the Species Composition of Food Using Mitochondrial DNA: Challenges and Possibilities of a Modern Laboratory

Abstract

Monitoring food quality is an important and constant element of the food market. This need is connected with health issues, religious beliefs of consumers, and economic considerations. For analysis, mtDNA is most commonly used because it is resist to physical factors such as temperature and pressure, which very often accompany food processing. Nowadays, scientific publications present a number of methods describing species identification from both farm animals and also less common animals. The most effective methods for determining species are based on PCR, real-time PCR, and sequencing. The methods are very sensitive, limit of detection (LOD) is 0.001% for many of them. An indispensable element of performing the described research is the strict application in the laboratory of several principles, which are intended to improve the work and make it safe for the lab technician, as well as guarantee the quality and effectiveness of the experiments carried out. The high work requirements set for the crew naturally shape the quality system from which the most popular is ISO/IEC 17025. Modern methods based on mtDNA are a good tool for food analysis, creating great opportunities for the researcher, at the same time causing challenges for the contemporary laboratory.

Keçi Sütüne Eklenen Farklı Süt Türlerinin Belirlenmesi İçin PCR Yöntemlerinin Karşılaştırılması

“…Although the European Union proposes proteinbased methods for species identification (CR, 2001), nucleic acid-based techniques have been used instead of protein for species identification, especially in foods of animal origin (Kumari et al, 2015). Among these techniques, PCR, multiplex PCR, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), PCR-RFLP and Real Time PCR are the most widely used molecular techniques (Bottero et al, 2003;Natonek-Wiśniewska and Krzyścin, 2019). With the PCR method, which is among the DNAbased technologies, small amounts of DNA can be amplified quickly and specifically (Rodríguez-Ramírez et al, 2011).…”

“…However, conventional techniques allow the qualitative detection of different species in the presence of a defined detection limit. On the other hand, in the Real Time PCR method, the identification of species is quantitative and this method has more sensitivity (Natonek-Wiśniewska and Krzyścin, 2019). This research study was carried out to determine which of the multiplex conventional and Real Time PCR methods is more suitable for the detecting of cow and sheep milk mixed with goat milk.…”