G02005: The application of metabolic profiling to the safety assessment of GM foods
Wednesday 16 October 2002
This research project aims to investigate the application of metabolic profiling for comparing GM crops with non-GM crops.
Background
This project aims to determine the global metabolites of GM and non-GM foods using improved gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology to enhance current techniques used to assess unintended effects.
Research Approach
It is hoped that this project will:
1. develop and validate accurate and reproducible extraction protocols for foods and food crops;
2. extend existing mass spectral libraries to encompass crop metabolomes and to enhance data processing;
3. develop sensitive, high throughput comparisons of metabolites of GM and non-GM lines of tomatoes and tomato products; and
4. apply this technology to other food crops such as potato and soya.
Results and findings
Most of the effort in this project was spent on method development rather than analysis of transgenic crops per se. The overall aim of this project was to develop mass spectrometry methods to identify metabolites in GM and non-GM crops, with a focus on tomatoes. A reproducible protocol for preparing samples and extracting metabolites was developed and used to evaluate different techniques.
The objective of the potato and soybean analysis was to determine if it would be possible to apply the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling method developed previously for tomatoes to these crops. The outcome was that while it was possible to successfully apply the techniques with potatoes, the differences between individual tubers are as big as the differences between different potato lines and with soybeans, the method of sample preparation greatly affected the outcome of the analysis.
The most robust and reliable technique in this project was found to be GC-MS which demonstrated its potential for being adapted to the analysis of other GM crops or foods.
The GC-MS methods developed for profiling transgenic tomatoes were capable of detecting unintended effects but the changes observed were small and due principally to alterations in the levels of amino acids. Between-plant variation was found to be much greater than within plant variation.
Dissemination information
The final report is available from the FSA Information Centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Information Services, Food Standards Agency (tel: 020 7276 8181/8182 or email: library&info@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk)