Comparison on Mutagenic Effects of Commercial Soybeans in Brazil
Scientist Vinicius Venancio of the Alfenas Federal University and colleagues evaluated the pesticide and metal concentrations and the mutagenic properties of conventional (MG-BR46 Conquista) and genetically modified (BRS Valiosa RR) soybeans, which are both commercially available in Brazil.
The team fed male Swiss mice with diets containing 1%, 10%, or 20% (w/w) GM soybeans or conventional soybeans. Other ingredients in the feed treatments (ash, fat, protein, moisture, and carbohydrates) were the same. Results of the tests showed that the conventional and GM soybeans do not contain pesticides such as organochlorine, organophosphate, and carbamate. Acceptable concentrations of heavy metals were detected that are not enough to cause damage on liver. They also found that the GM soybeans cannot cause mutation and have protective effect against DNA damage like those of the conventional soybean.
Read the abstract at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01635581.2012.687677.
This article is part of the Crop Biotech Update, a weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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