Abstract
This study describes a method for discriminating the true Cervus antlers from its counterfeits using multiplex PCR. Bioinformatics were carried out to design the specific alleles primers for mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome b (Cyt b) and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (Cox 1) genes. The mt DNA and genomic DNA were extracted from Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum through the modified alkaline and the salt-extracting method in addition to its counterfeits, respectively. Sufficient DNA templates were extracted from all samples used in two methods, and joint fragments of 354 bp and 543 bp that were specifically amplified from both of true Cervus antlers served as a standard control. The data revealed that the multiplex PCR-based assays using two primer sets can be used for forensic and quantitative identification of original Cervus deer products from counterfeit antlers in a single step.
Declaration of interest
The present project was financially funded by the Science and Technology Research Projects of the Department of Education of Jilin Province, China (Contract No.: 2012-143; 2015-143); the Science and Technology Development Program of Jilin City (2013523010); The Emerging Strategic Industries and High-tech Industry Development Program of Jilin Province (2013G030; 2015Y077). The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.