An analysis of the dietary content of haematophagous insects can provide important information about the transmission networks of certain zoonoses. The present study evaluated the potential of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome B (
cytb) gene to differentiate between vertebrate species that were identified as possible sources of sandfly meals. The complete
cytb gene sequences of 11 vertebrate species available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database were digested with
Aci I,
Alu I,
Hae III and
Rsa I restriction enzymes
in silico using Restriction Mapper software. The
cytb gene fragment (358 bp) was amplified from tissue samples of vertebrate species and the dietary contents of sandflies and digested with restriction enzymes. Vertebrate species presented a restriction fragment profile that differed from that of other species, with the exception of
Canis familiaris
and
Cerdocyon thous
. The 358 bp fragment was identified in 76 sandflies. Of these, 10 were evaluated using the restriction enzymes and the food sources were predicted for four:
Homo sapiens
(1),
Bos taurus
(1) and
Equus caballus
(2). Thus, the PCR-RFLP technique could be a potential method for identifying the food sources of arthropods. However, some points must be clarified regarding the applicability of the method, such as the extent of DNA degradation through intestinal digestion, the potential for multiple sources of blood meals and the need for greater knowledge regarding intraspecific variations in mtDNA.
