Detection of meat from horse, donkey and their hybrids (mule/hinny) by duplex real-time fluorescent PCR.
Authors: Wang Dan, Wang Liping, Xue Chenyu, Han Yuebei, Li Hejing, Geng Jianqiang, Jie Jiang
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Meat fraud remains a significant challenge in equine product integrity, particularly in China where donkey meat is frequently adulterated with horse and hybrid (mule/hinny) meat and mislabelled for commercial gain. Wang and colleagues developed a duplex real-time PCR assay targeting the creatine kinase muscle gene family to simultaneously differentiate between these three species in both raw and processed meat products, achieving a detection limit of 0.01 ng/µL with species-specific fluorescence amplification curves that clearly distinguish horse and donkey DNA whilst producing dual curves for hybrids. The assay proved robust across heat-processed samples, maintaining sensitivity even after thermal degradation of DNA—a critical requirement for detecting adulterants in cooked or processed meat products. For equine professionals involved in sourcing meat-based supplements, feeds, or products marketed as donkey-derived, this method provides a reliable verification tool to authenticate labelling claims and identify fraudulent substitution, with potential application in regulatory compliance and consumer protection across international markets.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •This molecular technique enables detection of meat adulteration in donkey meat products—relevant to equine professionals dealing with feed quality and meat sourcing
- •The method's sensitivity (0.01 ng/μL) and robustness across processed samples suggests potential application for verifying feed ingredients and meat-based supplements
- •Practitioners sourcing equine products in regions with known adulteration issues could advocate for this testing as a quality assurance measure
Key Findings
- •Duplex real-time PCR assay successfully differentiates horse, donkey, and mule/hinny meat using creatine kinase muscle gene fragments
- •Method achieved limit of detection (LOD) of 0.01 ng/μL for species identification
- •Assay functions effectively on both raw and heat-processed meat products
- •Simultaneous fluorescence amplification curves appear for mule/hinny, distinguishing them from single-species samples