Evaluation of β-Actin and mitochondrial DNA levels in determining the age of Suidae Remains

Abstract

African Swine Fever (ASF) is an infectious disease affecting pigs and wild boars, causingsignificant economic losses. Epidemiological surveillance plays an important role in minimizing itsimpact. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of β-actin DNA and mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) levels in determining the age of animal remains from the Suidae family, which could behelpful in epidemiological investigations. The study included selected tissues and internal organs ofSus scrofa domesticus, exposed to natural environmental conditions or kept in stable 4 ◦C conditions,to assess the levels of β-actin and mtDNA over a period of 18 months. The levels of both testedparameters exhibited the expected decreasing trend over time. However, in most tissues, somediscrepancies from this general pattern were observed. The results obtained for bone marrow showeda consistent downward trend and a strong correlation between mtDNA and β-actin, with long-termdetectability (up to the 13th month of the study). Therefore, bone marrow could be considered amatrix of choice for age assessment. However, due to various influencing factors, further studiesare required.