APPLICATION OF DNA BARCODING FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF ANIMAL SPECIES IN FOOD: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Abstract
Food labeling allows citizens to obtain complete information about the content and composition of food products. The substitution of foods for others and their incorrect labeling is one of the most common types of fraud worldwide, causing health problems such as allergies and poisoning, as well as economic losses. One species identification technique for detecting food fraud is DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase I gene. This mitochondrial gene is present in all species and has a unique composition in each one, allowing us to differentiate between animal species. The stages of this technique are the extraction and amplification of the cytochrome oxidase I gene from a fish or meat sample, followed by its sequencing. These sequences make up the genetic barcode, which is compared with the codes stored in the GenBank and BOLD libraries, allowing the percentage of similarity between the sequences to be calculated. GenBank and BOLD are public digital platforms that collect and analyze all sequences from all organisms worldwide. DNA barcoding of the COI gene is an effective technique for detecting food fraud, but it can have limitations during the laboratory stages. In products that include a mixture of different species, the species found in the highest proportion is mainly detected. Sample processing can complicate the process due to DNA denaturation. The technique allows the identification of cryptic species, but not subspecies. Some species cannot be identified due to problems with their taxonomy or because their sequences have not been incorporated into the GenBank or BOLD databases. Species identification can be supplemented by sequencing other genes or short sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I gene (minibarcoding).
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