Identification of tuna species in commercial cans by minor groove binder probe real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract

Three different minor groove binder (MGB) probe assays have been developed for rapid and accurate identification of the species commonly used for production of canned tuna, i.e. yellowfin (Thunnus albacares), bluefin (Thunnus thynnus) and albacore (Thunnus alalunga) tunas. The assays targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were able to discriminate efficiently between the three species contained in fresh or canned tunas and did not react with other Scombroidei that were tested. A correct species prediction was obtained even from artificial mixtures prepared with different amounts of the reference tuna species and subjected to the sterilisation treatment. Testing of 27 commercial canned tunas by PCR-RFLP, MGB probe assays and sequence analysis showed a concordance of 100% between the last two techniques, whereas by using PCR-RFLP several samples were uncharacterised or mischaracterised. These results make the established MGB probe assays an attractive tool for direct and rapid species identification in canned tuna.