Effects of GM Virus-Resistant Papaya on Rat Guts
September 4, 2009| |
Results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of West Indies in Jamaica revealed that transgenic papaya varieties, engineered to resist the papaya ringspot virus, are as safe as their conventional counterparts in terms of their effects on the gastrointestinal tract of lab rats. Melissa Powell and colleagues investigated the effects on laboratory rats of long-term, repeated exposure to transgenic papayas, specifically focusing on the histology and selected biochemical parameters (enzyme activities) of the intestinal tract.
The researchers found "no morphological alteration in the integrity of the intestinal mucosa" in lab rats fed with fruits of transgenic papaya varieties. They also observed "negligible effects on feed intake, body weight, and fecal output." Lastly, the transgenic papaya-containing diet was found not to affect the intestinal microbial count and the activities of the enzymes β-glucuronidase, disaccharidases and amylase.
The study published by Transgenic Research is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11248-009-9317-5
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- GM Wheat: A Global Demand
- New Project Aims to Enhance Plant Breeding Efficiency in the Developing World
- Monsanto Licenses Use of Cellectis' Genome Modification Technology
- Diseases Threaten to Wipe Out African Bananas
- Africa: Rice Production Sees Double Digit Growth in 2008
- Biotech Crops in Africa- The Final Frontier Highlights Agri-biotech Developments
- USDA Deregulates Genetically Engineered Papaya
- USDA Seeks Comment on Oleic Acid Soybean Deregulation
- Highly Valued Rice Fragrance has Origins in Basmati Rice, Study Finds
- Camelina - Herbicide Tolerant Oilseed Crop
- Canada Oks DuPont's HT trait in Corn, Soy
- Researcher Develops New Glue from Corn
- Vietnam's Environment Ministry Prepares Decree on Biotech Safety
- India Drives Out 'Farm Saved Seeds with Seeds of Improved Varieties'
- Mahyco Inks Deal with Bose Institute on Lactin Gene
- OGTR Calls for Comments re GM Sugarcane
- Results of GM Food Surveillance in Germany Released
- Western Corn Rootworm Wreaks Havoc in Northern Italy
- NEMO Finding New Biofuel Solutions
- Effective Use of Existing Data for Case-by-Case Risk Assessments of GM Crops
- Bayer CropScience and Performance Plants Inc Sign License Agreement on Drought-Tolerant Cotton
-
Research Highlights
- Effects of GM Virus-Resistant Papaya on Rat Guts
- Field Trial of Gossypol-Free Cotton Seeds Yields Good Results
-
Announcements
- Biotech Stakeholder Meeting, Brussels, Belgium
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 17, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 10, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet