Meat species identification based on the loop mediated isothermal amplification and electrochemical DNA sensor

An easy, rapid and sensitive method of detection of the presence of meat species in raw or processed foods is important from cultural, religious, health and commercial perspectives. In this study we have tried to distinguish species-specificity in control and processed pork, chicken and bovine meats using loop mediated isothermal amplicons (LAMP) and disposable electrochemical printed (DEP) chips. LAMP is a nucleic acid amplification method that amplifies target DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal condition (63 °C). Electrochemical genosensor with the DEP chips detects the amplicons by Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) observation of DNA–Hoechst33258 interaction on the chip surface. Hoechst33258 interacts with DNA in solution without immobilization of DNA onto the electrode surface eliminating the time consuming probe immobilization step. Our method is more specific and free of unwanted amplifications compared to Multiplexed PCR (M-PCR) method and gave limits of detection of ∼20.33 ng/μl (3 × 104 copies/reaction), ∼78.68 pg/μL (3 × 102 copies/reaction) and ∼23.63 pg/μL (30 copies/reaction) for pork, chicken and bovine species, respectively. Our method of detection is quick, taking only an hour, and it may be useful for food administration laboratories to carry out meat species identification in raw and processed foods.