Identification of dugong (Dugong dugon) tissues using isozymes

Abstract

Two tissue specimens, suspected of being dugong were tested by analyzing isozymes. The first tissue specimen was collected from Ban Paklok, Phuket on 26th of October, 2000 and the second one was collected from a fresh market in Phuket town on 29th of October, 2000. The suspected tissues were compared with known tissues of five dugongs (Dugong dugon), three cows (Bos taurus), three pigs (Sus scrofa), three chickens (Gallus domesticus) and one finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). The study employed seven enzymes namely dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, lactate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate, mannose-6-phosphate isomerase and phosphoglucomutase. Using the zymograms of these seven enzymes, the first tissue specimen was identified as dugong tissue, while the second tissue specimen was not. Due to incompatibility of protein patterns, we were unable to assign the second tissue specimen to any of the compared organisms. An electrophoretic analysis of isozymes has proven to be an effective tool for recognition of dugong tissue and shows potential for identification of other conserved organisms that are poached.