Development of primer set for the identification of fish species in surimi products using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a DNA marker for the identification of fish species in processed surimi products. A DNA marker was designed based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, and fish species in surimi products were identified using a molecular fingerprinting technique, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE); the results were subjected to sequence-based analysis. The DGGE profiles indicated the presence in surimi products of a greater diversity of fish species than reported previously: 20 species belonging to 16 genera were identified. Therefore, our method facilitates the simple and rapid detection and identification of fish species in seafood products produced from minced fish.