Abstract
Precipitation reaction was performed with extract of horse meat as antigen. The antibody used was serum immunized by horse hemoglobin and possessed of a precipitin titer of 1: 12, 800. As a result, precipitin titers of 1: 800 to 1: 1, 600 were obtained, although there were differences between individual animals and between locations of muscles in the body. There is nearly a coincidence in results between the precipitin titers obtained and the amount which was presumed to be due to the hemoglobin contained in the muscle.
A precipitin titer of 1: 6, 400 was obtained when precipitation reaction was carried out with serum immunized with heated hemoglobin as antibody and with untreated hemoglobin as antigen. It is indicated from this reaction that precipitation test may be applicable to the differentiation of heated meat.
In precipitation reaction conducted for the differentiation of meat derived from different animal species, it was observed that the strongest reaction was obtained when immune serum had been diluted 2 to 4 times with normal rabbit serum and heated at 37°C for 15 to 3a minutes.
A mixture of meat derived from different animal species was tested by precipitation reac ion with serum possessed of a precipitin titer of 1: 12, 800 as antibody. The presence of horse meat was clearly demonstrated, since a precipitin titer of 1: 400 was obtained from a specimen containing 25 per cent horse meat.
