Effect of dietary supplementation of recombinant Cry and Cp4 epsps proteins on haematological indices of growing rabbits

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) crops expressing insect resistance and herbicide tolerance provide a novel approach for improved crop production but their advent at the same time presents serious challenges in terms of food safety. Although prevailing scientific proof has suggested that transgenic crops are analogous to their conventional counterparts, their use in human and animal diet gave rise to emotional public discussion. A number of studies had been conducted to evaluate the potential unintended effects of transgenic crops expressing single transgene, but very few studies for those with multiple transgenes. As the crops with single and multiple transgenes could impart different effects on non‐target organisms, thus, risk evaluation of transgenic crops expressing more than one transgene is required to declare their biosafety. The present study was therefore designed to assess the effects of different levels of dietary transgenic cottonseed expressing recombinants proteins produced by Cry1Ac, Cry2A and Cp4epsps genes on haematological indices of growing rabbits. A total of 48 rabbits were assigned to four dietary treatments containing different levels of transgenic cottonseeds (i.e., 0% w/w, 20% w/w, 30% w/w and 40% w/w) with 0% w/w serving as control. Haematological parameters were measured at periodic intervals (0, 45, 90, 135 and 180) days. No significant (p > 0.05) dose‐dependent effects were observed in most of the haematological parameters evaluated. Though, significant differences (p < 0.05) were recorded in the level of MCHC, MCH and HCT in some of experimental male and female rabbits, yet, they were not biologically significant, as all the differences were within the normal reference values. Our study suggested that feeding transgenic cottonseed of up to 40% could not adversely affect rabbit's haematological profile. However, further study needs to be conducted with different cotton genotypes expressing both single and polygenic traits before recommending the utilization of transgenic cottonseed in routine livestock feeding.

Engineered resistance and risk assessment associated with insecticidal and weeds resistant transgenic cotton using wister rat model

“…Our biosafety study on wister rats, which involved using 40% GM cottonseed as a diet in (G3) group and 30% Non-GM cottonseed as diet in (G2) group, showed no comparable change of harmful effect on LFT, RFT and serum electrolyte when compared to the standard diet control group (G1). These results are consistent with the previous studies 20 , 36 .…”

“…Rats in group G1 were reared on standard diet while rats in G2 and G3 were respectively reared on a diet containing non-transgenic and 40% of transgenic cotton seeds (expressing Cy1Ac, Cry2A and cp4EPSPS) or it’s near isogenic one. Animals were kept for 90 days under standard housing conditions 20 . At the end of the study blood samples were collected from all the animal groups in a serum separator tubes and sent to university of veterinary and animal science (diagnostic lab) for liver function test (LFT), renal function test (RFT) and serum electrolyte.…”

A sub-chronic feeding study of dual toxin insect-resistant transgenic maize (CEMB-413) on Wistar rats

“…A total of 50 Wistar rats (25 males and 25 females, aged 5–6 weeks old at the start of the experiment) were kept at the CEMB animal house. The animal’s distribution and their housing were as described by Salisu et al [ 37 , 38 ] in earlier studies. The procedures of housing and treatments were approved by the ethics committee of the CEMB.…”

“…After the 90 days feeding trial, ovaries and testes were removed and cut into 2.0 cm segments, placed in RNAlater (Invitrogen) and stored at 4°C overnight. RNA was isolated using the Trizol method (Invitrogen) as described earlier by Salisu et al, [ 37 ]. The extracted RNA was resuspended in RNase-Free water and then quality and integrity were evaluated using the NanoDrop 1000 spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific).…”

Degradation of CP4-EPSPS with a Psychrophilic Bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia 780

“…Therefore, the effects of transgenic plants on domestic animals and the environment have been intensively studied [ 9 ]. CP4-EPSPS shows no obvious similarity with proteins associated with allergy and toxicity [ 10 ], and several investigations indicated that doses of CP4-EPSPS much higher than the dietary supplement level had no obvious toxicological effect on the reproductive function in rats [ 11 , 12 ] or animal health as a dietary supplementation [ 13 ]. However, some research has still raised possibilities that these plants may cause unintended effects via different pathways, which have to be systematically evaluated.…”