The efficiency of meat tenderizers in nucleic acid isolation

Abstract

Nucleic acid studies and use require nucleic acid isolation process to obtain the nucleic acids that are utilized. Nucleic isolation process and the reagents utilized are becoming a common process and therefore also cheaper though a few reagent costs are not favorable to low income researchers that require the nucleic acids in their studies. A study to assess the efficiency of locally available meat tenderizers was conducted to establish whether they can be used in place of commercially used proteinase K. The kitchen extraction experimental method of DNA extraction was used in this investigation. The meat tenderizers used were assessed for protease activity, they were then used in the extraction of nucleic acids and the quantity and purity of the nucleic acids was also assessed. All the meat tenderizers used yielded nucleic acids and the nucleic acids yielded was relatively pure. Therefore, meat tenderizers can be included in laboratory protocols and used as a protease source in nucleic acid isolation. This low-cost procedure and information from the study can be adopted by institutions and low-budget researchers.