Feasibility of DNA forensics from sea turtle products

Abstract

This is a feasibility study to find the best part and best method for DNA extraction from sea turtle products. The samples used in this study were dead specimens of hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from the Department of Fisheries, Sabah and eggs from markets around Kuala Terengganu. The DNA of samples from different parts was extracted using both conventional method (CTAB Protocol) and DNA commercial extraction kit. The most effective method to extract DNA was the conventional method while the best parts for DNA extraction were the flippers and neck for hawksbill and only the flippers for the green turtle. As for the eggs, the shell and yolk showed presence of DNA. This study is a preliminary study to determine the origin of turtles. However, MtDNA analysis to determine the origin of the samples was unsuccessful due to the quality of DNA in the sea turtle products.