Conventional (MG-BR46 Conquista) and Transgenic (BRS Valiosa RR) Soybeans Have No Mutagenic Effects and May Protect Against Induced-DNA Damage In Vivo

Abstract

In the present study, we evaluated the pesticide and metal concentrations as well as the antimutagenic and mutagenic properties of commercial soybeans (Glycine max). Male Swiss mice were fed diets containing 1%, 10%, or 20% (w/w) transgenic soybeans (BRS Valiosa RR) or parental isogenic conventional soybeans (MG-BR46 Conquista). Cyclophosphamide (50 mg kg⁻¹ b.w.) was added in a single dose 24 h before euthanasia as an induction agent. There was no difference in the composition (ash, total fat, protein, moisture, and carbohydrates) of the diets containing the same soybean concentration. The results show that the commercially available Brazilian soybeans tested are free of organochlorine, organophosphate, and carbamate pesticides and contain acceptable heavy metal concentrations. Both cyclophosphamide and soybean treatments were not sufficient to cause detectable oxidative damage on liver by the levels of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl. The transgenic soybeans are also nonmutagenic and have protective effects against DNA damage similar to those of conventional soybeans but to a lesser percentage (64%–101% for conventional and 23%–33% for transgenic diets).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Loja São José for providing the soybean cultivars. This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, FAPEMIG and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.