Development of monospecific anti-beef sera

Abstract

Agar gel immunodiffusion is a simple and relictle test for identifying the species origin of meat, povided the antisera to be used are monospecific. A study was undertaker to make Rabbit anti-cattle serum (RACS) and Rabbit anti-buffalo serum (RABS) monospecific by absorption with the freeze dried sera of goat (GFD), buffalo (BFD), cattle 'CFD) and a combination of GFD and CFD or CFD and BFD Though it was found that the RACS was made mono- specific by absorption with BFD, production of monospecific RABS through absorption with GFD or CFD, is more desirable Absorption of RABS with GFD alone enabled to identify both beef and buffalo meat samples which can be further confirmed by RABS absorbed with BFD RABS absorbed with BFD and RABS absorbed with CFD could identify a level of 25 per cent or above adulteration with beef and buffalo beef respectively Filter paper was found to be good carrier of beef and buffalo meat extract antigens and storing it for upto 30 days did not influence the test result with unabsorbed antisera All the three eluants, NaCl, PBS and PBS-T were found to be equally useful for elution of the meat antigen from the dried filter paper