Effect of feeding genetically modified maize and soybean meal to sows on their reproductive traits, haematological indices and offspring performance

Abstract

The effect of Roundup Ready MON-40-3-2 soybean meal and Bt maize MON810 on sows performance and haematological indices, including parameters of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and trombocytes, as well as the piglets rearing indices were evaluated in the experiment carried out on 24 sows and their progeny. After mating sows were divided into groups: I -control, conventional soybean meal and conventional maize; II -genetically modified (GM) soybean meal and conventional maize; IIIconventional soybean meal and GM maize; IV -GM soybean meal and GM maize. All used feed mixtures were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, however differed in presence or absence of genetically modified maize MON810 (5% for pregnant and 8% for lactating sows) and/or soybean meal MON-40-3-2 (4% for pregnant and 14% for lactating sows). Born piglets were allotted to the same group as their mothers. The study showed that feeding pregnant and lactating sows with mixtures containing genetically modified RR soybean or/and meal Bt maize did not significantly affect their reproductive characteristics and offspring performance. There was no effect of dietary treatment on haematological indices. Transfer of transgenic DNA from GM feed to blood was not confirmed.

The food and environmental safety of Bt crops

“…None were detected in the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes ( Chowdhury et al, 2003a , b ) indicating they were too large to be systemically absorbed from the GI tract. It has been suggested that transgenic nucleic acids and proteins from GM crops are handled in the gut like their conventional counterparts, with no evidence for systemic absorption of intact proteins or genes ( Światkiewicz et al, 2009; Walsh et al, 2012a , b ; Sieradzki et al, 2013 ). It is notable that farm animals generally have a much higher proportion of maize in their diets than humans; for example, in the case of broiler chickens, maize accounts for approximately 65% of their diet throughout their productive lifetime.…”

Horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified plants - Regulatory considerations

“…For example, GM corn, GM rice, GM soybean or purified plasmid DNA were introduced in the diets of rats, broilers, laying hens, pigs, piglets and calves. No instances of HGT of the introduced DNA to bacteria in the GIT was observed in these experiments ( Nemeth et al, 2004 ; Zhu et al, 2004 ; Deaville and Maddison, 2005 ; Calsamiglia et al, 2007 ; Wilcks and Jacobsen, 2010 ; Yonemochi et al, 2010 ; Walsh et al, 2011 ; Nordgård et al, 2012 ; Sieradzki et al, 2013 ; Świątkiewicz et al, 2013 ; Zhao et al, 2016 ).…”

Results of a 16-week safety assurance study with rats fed genetically modified Bt maize: effect on growth and health parameters

“…Although there is a comprehensive set of studies that confirm the absence of unintended effects and the nutritional equivalence of MON 810 maize to existing conventional hybrids, animal feeding studies should also be undertaken to provide further assurance of nutritional safety and value. There were no adverse effects of transgenic maize (Bt and Gt) on production indices, quality of pork (3, 23, 24), or meat of broiler chickens and laying hens (8, 25, 26, 27) uncovered in previous work. The obtained data indicated that transgenic DNA sequences from Bt maize are well digested in the gastrointestinal tract and are not transferred to animal tissues.…”

“…In an earlier 90-day safety assurance study with rats fed borer-protected maize, there were also no test article related changes in haematology parameters for the MON 810 maize fed animals (10). A series of Polish studies led the author to conclude that dietary GM maize did not affect the haematological parameters of pigs (23), Japanese quails (21), broiler chickens, or laying hens (25, 26). In the present investigation, blood creatinine concentration increased significantly in rats fed the GM diets.…”