Subchronic Toxicity of GmDREB3 Gene Modified Wheat in the Third Generation Wistar Rats

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Toxicology
• Genetics

Background:

• Genetically modified (GM) crops are increasingly part of the food supply.
• Assessing the long-term safety of GM foods is crucial for public health and regulatory approval.
• Wheat modified with the GmDREB3 gene requires thorough toxicological evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the subchronic toxicity of GmDREB3 gene modified wheat.
• To assess potential adverse effects in rats fed a diet containing transgenic wheat over multiple generations.

Main Methods:

• SPF Wistar rats were fed diets of transgenic wheat (Gm), parental wheat (Jimai22), or a control diet (AIN-93) for two generations.
• Third-generation offspring (20/sex/group) were fed the same respective diets for 13 weeks.
• Comprehensive toxicity assessments included clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, and histopathology.

Main Results:

• No significant toxicity-related changes were observed in rats consuming the Gm wheat diet.
• Parameters evaluated included clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, food utilization, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology.
• Gm wheat consumption did not induce adverse effects compared to the parental Jimai22 wheat.

Conclusions:

• Subchronic consumption of GmDREB3 gene modified wheat did not cause adverse effects in third-generation rats.
• The study supports the safety of this specific transgenic wheat.
• No toxicological concerns were identified for the evaluated GM wheat variety.