Biotech Updates

Scientists Evaluate Effect of Phytase Transgenic Corn on Laying Hens

January 22, 2014

Scientists at China Agricultural University studied the possible effects of feeding phytase transgenic corn to the organ weight, serum biochemical parameters, nutrient digestability of laying hens. One hundred forty four (144) 50-week-old laying hens were grouped randomly into two treatments, with 8 replicates per treatment and 9 hens per replicate. For 16 weeks, one treatment group of hens was fed with diets containing non-biotech corn, while the other group was fed with diets containing phytase transgenic corn.

Results showed that feeding phytase transgenic corn to laying hens had no adverse effect on organ weight or serum biochemical parameters. The corn-specific invertase gene (ivr) and the transgenic phyA2 gene were not detected in the breast muscle, leg muscle, and reproductive organs of the laying hens. Furthermore, it was also found that novel plant phytase can improve the phosphorous digestibility of laying hens.

Read the research article at http://www.ajas.info/Editor/manuscript/upload/AJAS_Jan2014_27_77.pdf.