April 9, 2008

Monsanto studies show encouraging results on alfatoxin-protected corn

Researchers at Monsanto have shown encouraging preliminary results of a new corn variety showing reduced levels of alfatoxin, a liver carcinogen.

Bruce Hammond, a lead researcher at Monsanto's Product Safety Center, says that aflatoxin is a potent liver carcinogen and source of other health concerns in humans and animals.

Hammond said that in Africa and the developing world, poor regulation has made aflatoxin a significant food safety issue.

During the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, Hammond and others presented advances towards the production of corn less susceptible to aflatoxin contamination.

To engineer better corn crops, Monsanto scientists are targeting insect pests that can rob corn yield and decrease grain quality.

The first generation of its "Bt corn" incorporated a gene into the corn genome from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Subsequent studies confirmed a secondary benefit, with less insect damage on corn ears, the Bt corn suffered less fungal infection and had lower levels of certain mycotoxins, but not aflatoxin.

Hammond's team followed up on these observations with the aim to reduce aflatoxin levels.

Today, Monsanto researchers aim to confer even more insect protection to the second generation of Bt corn.

Pending regulatory approval, the new varieties could include additional genes that guard against a broader variety of pests like the fall armyworm, a particular threat to the southern US associated with aflatoxin contamination.