Molecular authentication and discrimination between banana shrimp and Pacific white shrimp by duplex PCR-lateral flow dipstick (dPCR-LFD) system

Abstract

Banana shrimp is easily substituted by Pacific white shrimp due to its relatively similar morphology and appearance. The duplex PCR-lateral flow dipstick (dPCR-LFD) system was developed to authenticate these two species based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene. Two pairs of species-specific primers were designed for dPCR amplification. The specificity was also tested toward nine marine species. The sensitivity of the method was also evaluated at the DNA range of 0.02 %-60 % of adulterated Pacific white shrimp DNA in DNA from banana shrimp. Several types of cooked samples under various conditions were also tested. The developed dPCR-LFD system could specifically differentiate banana shrimp from Pacific white shrimp. No cross-amplification was observed in the specificity test. The sensitivity test showed the detection limit of 0.02 % (0.01 ng) of Pacific white shrimp DNA. The cooking processes including boiling, frying, and steaming did not show any effect on the efficiency of the dPCR-LFD system. This technique could be therefore implemented for the authentication of banana shrimp and Pacific white shrimp products as well as further use for other seafood frauds.