Biotech Updates

Nutritional Analysis of GM Rice Varieties in Korea

February 24, 2012

Two glufosinate-tolerant rice varieties (Iksan 483 and Milyang 204) were developed in Korea by inserting bar gene to the genomes of conventional rice varieties. Scientist Hoon Choi of Seoul National University and colleagues conducted a comparative assessment of the nutritional composition of the GM rice varieties and their conventional counterparts. The team compared the nutrients including proximates, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.

The researchers found no significant difference in the nutrient composition of the GM rice varieties and non-GM counterparts. Majority of the measured levels of nutrients were in line with the literature ranges, even showing significant equivalency. Further analysis also revealed that the environment affects the nutritional composition and that all the differences between the GM rice varieties and counterparts are within the range as the differences recorded among the conventional varieties grown in different time periods. Thus, the transformation of the rice varieties did not affect the nutritional content of GM rice grains.

Read the abstract at http://www.springerlink.com/content/uq123733vk79475w/.