Comparative safety assessment of genetically engineered anti-browning potatoes

LLORENTE BE; RODRÍGUEZ V; CARRARI F; LÓPEZ MG; BRAVO-ALMONACID FF; TORRES HN; FLAWIÁ MM; ALONSO GD

San Miguel de Tucumán. Tucumán, Argentina.

Congreso; XLV Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (SAIB).; 2009

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Even though genetically engineered (GE) crops have been increasingly adopted worldwide since 1996 and promising approaches to improve quality traits in food crops have been extensively reported in the scientific literature, concerns between scientists, consumers and regulatory authorities on the safety of transgenic crops have led to the development of the “comparative safety assessment” concept. It comprises the analytical nature of the first step of the entire genetically modified food safety assessment in combination with consecutive toxicological and nutritional evaluations. In this work we attempted to explore the comparative safety concept in GE potato lines with reduced polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and diminished browning in tubers. To accomplish this goal, three GE potato lines (-PPO) were characterized at both the physiological and molecular level. The photosynthetic performance was surveyed by means of measuring gas exchange CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration. Primary metabolism was studied by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and intake safety was evaluated using bioinformatic approaches and assayed in mice. We conclude that apart from small unintended differences in the primary metabolism and the intended trait improvement, “anti-browning potatoes” are comparable to wild-type potatoes and pose no risk to human health.