The optimized protocol of artificial digestion method for inspection of Trichinella spiralis in meat.

To identify the major factors affecting the artificial digestion method for detection of Trichinella spiralis in meat and to optimize the method for increased sensitivity, groups of mice were orally inoculated with T.spiralis muscle larvae at various dosages, and were slaughtered at 42 days post-infection. Larvae were collected from the mouse muscles using the method recommended by International Commission on Trichinellosis (ICT-digestion). Different settling vessels, temperatures, sieves and digestion time were examined for effect on the recovery of T. spiralis larvae from muscle tissue. The larval recovery rate by conical cylinders was significantly higher than separatory funnels (t=33.090, p0.05), and optomal larval recovery was obtained with #40 (425 μm mesh) sieve at a reduced temperature (43 ℃, p0.01). Higher larval recovery rate was obtained with a longer digestion time (2 h). The improved digestion protocol was applied to test the meat samples containing 0.1 or 1 lpg and showed 100 % larval recovery.