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The application of metabolic profiling to the safety assessment of GM foods

Project Code: G02005;
Publication:

John M. Halket, Daniel Waterman, Anna M. Przyborowska, Raj K.P. Patel, Paul D. Fraser, Peter M. Bramley. Chemical derivatization and mass spectral libraries in metabolic profiling by GC/MS and LC/MS/MS (2005) Journal of Experimental Botany, special edition - Metabolomics and Metabolic Profiling

31/05/2005

University of London
Bramley, P ; Przyborowska, A;
School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London
Patel, R; Fraser, P; Halket, J;
University of London
Waterman, D

Executive Summary

As a result of considerable public and political concern related to the
safety assessment of GM crops, the concept of “substantial equivalence”
has been a subject of considerable discussion. In order to inform the
safety assessment process the nutritional quality and levels of potentially
toxic metabolites in both the engineered and conventional crops are
examined to identify similarities and differences between them. It relies
on analytical methods designed to measure predefined target nutrients and
metabolites, and therefore may miss some unintended nutritional or
metabolite effects.

The “targeted” methods are lengthy and very laborious. To overcome
these difficulties, the most up-to-date scientific methods such as
metabolite profiling using mass spectrometry could provide a better
approach, enabling the detection of chemically diverse compounds in a
single analysis. The “metabolic profile” can provide a detailed
comparison of changes to metabolite levels and allow identification of the
unintended effects of genetic modification.

Three different instrumental techniques have been assessed and optimized
and operational conditions developed to maximize the separation and
measurement of metabolites in complex mixtures.

Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
Gas Chromatography – Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
(GC/TOF-MS)
Liquid Chromatograph – Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS)

It was found that the most successful and useful technique was GC/MS.
The technique was found to be the most robust and reliable, if not the
fastest. Libraries of standard compounds have been created to allow identification
of unknown metabolites.

Final Report

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