Immunological detection of keratan sulfate in meat products with and without mechanically separated chicken meat.

Keratan sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan found in the structure of cartilage proteoglycans, aggrecan and fibromodulin. This study was undertaken to detect this glycosaminoglycan in meat products containing mechanically separated chicken meat (MSCM) having cartilage particles. Dry-defatted samples of MSCM and meat products with or without MSCM were digested with papain, and a non-dialyzable fraction from each papain digest was examined by immunodiffusion analysis using anti-keratan sulfate monoclonal antibody (IgM). No precipitine line was formed with the antibody for all samples of meat products without MSCM, while a sample of MSCM and all samples of meat products with MSCM gave clear precipitine lines with the antibody. The immunodiffusion test described here appears to be a simple sensitive specific method for qualitative analysis of keratan sulfate, which in combination with other methods may be useful for detection of MSCM in meat products.