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Title: TOCOPHEROL, PHYTOSTEROL, AND PHOSPHOLIPID COMPOSITIONS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED PEANUT VARIETIES

Author
item JONNALA, RAMAKANTH - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV
item DUNFORD, NURHAN - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV
item Chamberlin, Kelly

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2005
Publication Date: 1/15/2006
Citation: Jonnala, R.S., Dunford, N.T., Chenault, K.D. 2006. Tocopherol, phytosterol, and phospholipid compositions of genetically modified peanut varieties. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 86(3):473-476.ext/112141661/PDFSTART.

Interpretive Summary: Peanut is susceptible to many types of pathogens including fungi. Genetic engineering offers great potential for developing peanut cultivars resistant to a broad spectrum of pathogens that pose a recurring threat to peanut health. In an effort to improve the disease resistance of peanuts, peanut lines were developed that contain anti-fungal genes. These plant lines were previously shown to have increased resistance to Sclerotinia blight of peanut. Before possible release for public use, it is necessary to determine if the genetic modifications which produced these peanut lines may have caused unintentional or detrimental changes in the seed's chemical composition. The main objective of this research project was to assess the composition of nutritionally beneficial components in the seed of these genetically modified peanut lines. The compositions of transgenic lines were compared to those of the parent cultivar, Okrun, which is produced commercially in the Southwestern U.S. The experimental results indicate no major changes in the composition of transgenic peanut lines examined in this study with respect to the cultivar Okrun.

Technical Abstract: Peanut is susceptible to many types of fungal pathogens. Genetic engineering offers great potential for developing peanut cultivars resistant to a broad spectrum of pathogens that pose a recurring threat to peanut health. In an effort to improve the disease resistance of peanuts, three transgenic peanut lines were developed. Somatic embryos of the peanut cultivar Okrun was transformed by inserting a chitinase gene from rice and/or a beta-1-3- glucanase from alfalfa. The main objective of this research project was the assessment of composition of the nutritionally beneficial bioactive components in biotechnology-derived peanut lines. The transgenic peanut lines 188, 540 and 654, which showed increased resistance to fungal diseases, as compared to the parent line, were analyzed for their tocopherol, phytosterol and phospholipid compositions. The compositions of transgenic lines were compared to those of the parent cultivar. The experimental results indicate no major changes in the composition of transgenic peanut lines examined in this study with respect to the cultivar Okrun.