Immunodiffusion Technique for the Identification of Animal Species

Abstract An agar-gel immunodiffusion technique was developed for the identification of meat animal species. A pattern of wells and troughs was cut from agar plates. The wells and troughs contained antigens and antisera, respectively. The diffusion of the antigens and antisera through the agar results in the formation of precipitin lines when optimum antigen-antibody conditions exist. The interpretation of the reactions depends upon the position of the formed precipitin lines in relation to each other. Eleven of 12 mixed tissue samples submitted to the authors’ laboratory for species determination were identified correctly by the agar-gel immunodiffusion test. The test is a relatively rapid and simple method of confirming the results of the tube precipitin ring test for animal species identification.