• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2009

The coexistence policy of GM and non-GM crops is still on the debates in EU since “the recommendation on guidelines for the development of national strategies and best practices to ensure the coexistence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming” has been reported in 2003. The major issues are maximum tolerance level of GMO admixture and minimum isolation distances of GM fields with others including conventional, organic and seeds production. Majority of member states in EU proposed that the tolerance level of GMO admixture must be more strictly controlled, in particular in the fields for organic crops and seeds production. To this end, it was proposed that minimum isolation distances to segregate GM crops from fields with organic crops and seeds production need to be further extended than those of conventional crops since cross pollination with other crops adjacent GM fields is known as the most prevalent source for GMO contamination. In these circumstances, it is strongly suggested that the current legislations need to be revised including the minimum isolation distances of fields for each species before field cultivation for a commercial GM crop is approved for the first time in South Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.6-13
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• 2003

Various kinds of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and processed foods have been developed during recent years. Genetically modified organisms can be classified into several groups as their development methods. Generally, GMO has three foreign DNA regions such as gene expression adjustment region(Promoter), termination region (terminator) and structure gene. Detection of these regions can be done particularly by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR-based detection can virtually be performed for any GMO within short of time. The most important prerequisite for the application of PCR-based detection is to decide abstraction method of efficient nucleic acids. Specially, in the case of processed food, because nucleic acids of foodstuffs are damaged by heat treatment (sterilization), pressure and fermentation, DNA must be extracted ken the samples prior to PCR analysis. Although many DNA extraction protocols are available, they have rarely been compared in a comprehensive method. In this study low widely used commercial and non-commercial DNA extraction methods-DNeasy$^{TM}$, Wizard$^{TM}$, CTAB, phenol/chloroform system-were compared with respect to the quality and yield of nucleic acids and insertion genes.nes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.556-560
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• 2003

It was determined whether the sandwich ELISA using specific anti-CP4 EPSPS polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, developed in the previous study, could be applied to detect GM soybean or not. The soybeans (47 imported and 20 domestic soybeans) were analyzed by a sandwich ELISA. The results of imported soybeans were divided into two groups which were high contents $(39.1{\pm}13.5\;{\mu}g/g,\;n=33)$ and low contents of CP4 EPSPS $(2.6{\pm}1.2\;{\mu}g/g,\;n=14)$. The ratio of GM in imported soybeans was about 70.2%. One the other hand, the contents of CP4 EPSPS in domestic soybeans was very low $(0.9{\pm}0.5\;{\mu}g/g,\;n=20)$ which determined to be non-GM soybeans. In case of soybean sprouts, the contents of CP4 EPSPS in soybean sprouts were different between GM and non-GM soybean sprout. The CP4 EPSPS in cotyledon of GM soybeans sprout was higher than that in root hair. The contents of CP4 EPSPS in soybeans sprout of domestic soybeans were very low. Thus, it was possible to determine that the soybeans sprout was made of GM or non-GM soybeans. Also, PCR experiment showed that the sandwich ELISA was accurate to distinguish the soybeans to be GM or non-GM. These results showed the sandwich ELISA could determine the soybeans were GM or non-GM, rapidly and simply.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.806-811
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• 2006

The regulation of labelling criterion for genetically modified (GM) foods has been enforced since 2001 in Korea. Therefore, GM soybean (GMS) or GM maize (GMM) processed foods must be labeled as GMO derived. We surveyed to see whether this regulation is kept relevantly or not and the distributive statue of GM processed foods. Using the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on endogenous gene (Le1n, SSIIb), promoter gene (P35S), terminator gene (NOS) and transgenic gene (RRS, Bt11, Bt176, GA21, T25, Mon810), we detected GMS and GMM processed foods circulating at the market in Busan area. Out of total 100 samples, 38 items were showed to be contaminated with recombinant gene by qualitative PCR. Among 82 domestic and 18 imported items, 32 (39.0%) and 6 (33.3%) items were detected with GM ingredients respectively. Also among the 80 soybean and 20 maize processed foods, 23 (28.7%) and 15 (75.0%) foods were sensitive to detect GMS and GMM ingredients respectively. For the qualitative PCR positive foods, we chased identity preservation (IP) certificates. And we verified that the PCR positive crops were grown up, harvested and shipped separately from GMO but just mixed with GMO in the threshold of the non attentional contamination levels (3%). Thus we can not find out any regulation-violent case at all. The results of this study will help to keep the regulations of GM labelling and be informative to consumers who want to know the laboratory results of GMO testing.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2001

We performed to evaluate the safety of GMOs for a long term exposure in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. In this study, groups often or fifteen SD rats were fed one of the following four diets for 90 days: (1) AIN-76A rodent diet only; (2) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically modified soybean from USA; (3) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically non-modified soybean from USA; (4) AIN-76A rodent diet containing 5% genetically non-modified soybean from Korea. The effects of AIN-76A rodent diet containing genetically modified soybean on body weights, food uptake, water consumption, hematology, serum bio-chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, gross findings and histopathological findings were not significantly different, compared with others. Taken together, these results suggested that genetically modified soybean did not induce any toxic effects in rats treated for 90 days.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.810-814
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• 2004

This research was conducted to evaluate the safety of the herbicide-resistant rice, a genetically modified organism (GMO) developed by the Rural Development Administration by exposing it to 12 months old Sprague-Dawley rats for 8 weeks. The composition of herbicide-resistant brown rice with/without heating treatment was compared with those of conventional Ilpum brown rice with/without heating treatment to assess composition equivalence. Compositional analysis was performed to measure proximates, fiber, and minerals. The nutritional components of herbicide-resistant rice were similar to those of the nontransgenic control or were within the normal range of nontransgenic rice. Four groups of experimental male rats were fed one of the following diets for eight weeks: Ilpum brown rice (I) and its heated rice (IH) as non-GMO, and herbicide-resistant brown rice (G) and its heated rice (GH) as GMO- We checked clinical symptoms (anorexia, salivation, diarrhea, polyuria, anuria, fecal change), food intake, and water consumption every day, change of body weight once a week, and serum biochemistry and organ weights after 8 weeks of experimental feeding We did not find any significant differences in the above-mentioned items. These results suggested that genetically modified herbicide-resistant rice was compositionally equivalent to conventional Ilpum rice, and nutritional characteristics and safety of herbicide-resistant rice in old male rats treated for 8 weeks were not different from those of Ilpum rice, non-GMO.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.537-540
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• 2000

A simplified but reliable method was developed for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of genetically modified (GM) plants. The modified CTAB (mCTAB) method enabled us to prepare a high quality of genomic DNA from several hundred plant leaf samples in one day. Using DNA samples prepared from seven dicots and two monocots, approximately 1.75-kb regions spanning 17 S to 25 S ribosomal RNA genes were successfully amplified in a 2X PCR pre-mix containing BLOTTO. Further fidelity assessment of the mCTAB method by PCR analysis with Roundup Ready soybean (RRS) and non-RRS plants showed that the DNA samples prepared alternately from each of two lines were evidently free of cross-contamination. These results demonstrate that the mCTAB method is highly recommended for the rapid detection of transgenes in large numbers of leaf samples from diverse transgenic plants.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.104-113
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• 2011

We investigated the systemic effects of leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) resistant rice (transgenic rice, Nakdongbyeb) in Sprague-Dawley rats for 13 weeks. Leaf folder resistant rice was added to the diet at percentage levels of 0, 5 and 20 percentage/feeder and was administered for 13 weeks. The results did not show any changes in food and water intake. There were also no biologically significant changes in both body and organ weights, hematological and blood biochemical parameters, autopsy and histopathology between the treatment and control groups. Based on these results, no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of transgenic rice was considered to be more than 10,000 mg/kg b.w. under the conditions of the present study.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.612-616
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• 2006

In recent years, there has been increasing concerns in gene flow from GM crops to wild or weedy relatives as a potential risk in the commercialization of GM crops. To access the possibility of the environmental impacts by GM rice, small-scale experiments of gene transfer were carried out. Herbicide and drought stress resistant GM rice and non-GM rice Nakdongbyeo, wild rice Oryza nivara, and weedy rice Sharebyeo were used for artificial pollination experiments and bar gene was used as a tractable marker after pollination. The harvested putative hybrid seeds after artificial pollination were germinated and true hybrid plants were selected by basta treatment. The hybrid plants were verified again by PCR amplification of bar and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) genes and RAPD PCR analysis.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.118-124
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• 2003

For the rapid detection of various pathogenic microorganisms from food sample, various kinds of kits have been developed and commercially available in the markets. With the advantages of speed, accuracy and easiness, the market of these kits has gradually increased for the QC and QA field of food company as well as testing facilities or laboratories. In this study, the characteristics such as the detection limit and the sensitivity of immunochromatographic type of rapid detection kit (Donga Co, Korea, D-kit) for E. coli 0157:H7 developed by monoclonal antibody were examined and also the possibility of application of the kit to food samples was evaluated. The reference kits used for comparison study were Reveal E. coli 0157:H7 (Neogen Co., USA, R-kit) and VIP EHEC kit (Biocontrol Inc., USA, V-kit) occupying major market share. In the detection limit test with the E. coli 0157:H7 reference, both R-kit and D-kit showed a distinct positive reaction in $10^4$/ml and weak positive reaction in $10^3$/ml, whereas V-kit showed a same reaction in 105/ml. Also, it was identified that the culture treated with heat showed more sensitivity than no heat treated culture. The sensitivity test was conducted against 22 isolates of E. coli 0157:H7, 7 strains of non-O157:H7 verotoxin-producing E. coli, 40 strains of E. coli with different O and H antigen type, and 38 strains of non-E. coli Enterobacteriaceae, and all of the test strains except three were showed exactly three were showed exactly the same reaction against three kinds of the tested kits. All the three kinds of kits showed a positive reaction against E. coli O157:H19, E. coli O148:H18 and Salmonella galinarium. We suppose that there might be a similarity in serological property between these three strains and O157:H7. From the test results, it can be concluded that there is (was) no difference between the D-kit developed in this study and R-kit or V-kit based on the detection limit and sensitivity.