Multiplex PCR for detection of camel milk adulteration with cattle and goat milk

Determination of adulteration in raw milk has become increasingly important from the viewpoint of food safety and quality. The present study aimed to detect the adulteration of camel milk with cattle and goat milk by multiplex PCR technique based on amplification of the Cytochrome b gene. The developed technique successfully amplified the target fragment of 208 bp (Camel), 274 bp (cattle), and 174 bp (goat) of the gene. The amplified products were sequenced for further verification and submitted to NCBI GenBank. The limit of quantification (LOQ) for camel, cattle and goat were 2×10-6 ng/μL, 2×10-7 ng/μL and 2×10-2 ng/μL respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) of cattle and goat milk in camel milk was found to be 10% and 5%, respectively. Results of the present study indicated that the multiplex PCR analysis is a useful technique for authentication of camel milk and detection of its adulteration with cattle and goat milk.