Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan - Monograf

Browse

Browsing Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan - Monograf by Author "Aznan, Wan Nur Azmiera Nazihah Wan"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Molecular detection of bovine DNA in processed cat wet food products through PCR amplification using mitochondrial DNA ND5 gene
    (2026-01)
    Aznan, Wan Nur Azmiera Nazihah Wan
    Food adulteration and mislabelling of animal-derived products pose significant concerns for consumer trust and food safety. Similar issues are also reported in pet foods, where animal species may be undeclared, substituted, or declared on product labels but not actually present in the final product. Cat wet food products are predominantly derived from animal protein sources such as beef, chicken, and fish. In this study, 15 samples of processed cat wet food products were analysed for bovine DNA using species-specific primers targeting the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) ND5 gene. Agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that genomic DNA extracted from all processed samples was highly degraded. Despite this, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification successfully detected a 214 bp fragment in three bovine-labelled samples (37.5%) and three samples without a bovine label (42.9%), indicating the presence of bovine DNA. Interestingly, 3 positive bovines from cat wet food products without a bovine label were initially identified as lamb meat and two products were classified as unknown meat gravy. This result may suggest the possibility of fraud in cat wet food products. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the mtDNA ND5 gene is a suitable molecular marker for bovine detection in processed pet food products. The method showed no cross-reactivity with 7 non-target species and successfully detected bovine DNA at concentrations as low as 10pg/ μL, highlighting its specificity and sensitivity. In summary, PCR amplification using species-specific primers provides a reliable approach for pet food authentication and forensic investigations