Identification of the origin of animal protein by agar-gel diffusion.

Abstract

THE identification of the origin of various animal proteins proved possible by the agar-gel double diffusion technique1. Antisera were prepared in rabbits by multiple injections of alum-precipitated animal sera. Antigens were prepared from animal sera and tissue extracts, tick blood-meals, sun-dried meat or biltong and uncooked sausage meat. They were diffused overnight at 25° C against known antisera simultaneously with the homologous antigen. The agar gels were prepared from 1 per cent agar in borate buffer at pH 8.6 and were about 3 mm thick. A seven-well pattern was used consisting of a 9.5-mm diameter central well set 10 mm from the 7-mm diameter peripheral antigen wells.