Fast identification of scallop adductor muscles using species-specific microsatellite markers

Scallop adductor muscles are very popular delicious seafood distributed in the international markets. Identification of commercial adductor muscles to the species level is an important issue to assure the correct labeling for their distribution. In the present study, we established the species-specific microsatellite markers for four main economic scallop species to identify commercial adductor muscles. A total of 140 adductors derived from three different food processes, the frozen, the dried and the canned, were collected from markets and analyzed using the species-specific microsatellite markers. Although the DNA extracted from the commercial samples was highly degraded, all samples were well identified using the method established in the present study. This method well demonstrated high precision and high sensitivity, and more competence in the identification of mixed commercial samples. Moreover, the results in this study gave the experimental evidences for the potential use of species-specific microsatellite markers for species identification in the market management.