Effect of feeding genetically modified maize and soybean meal to sows on their reproductive traits, haematological indices and offspring performance

The effect of Roundup Ready MON-40-3-2 soybean meal and Bt maize MON810 on sows performance and haematological indices, including parameters of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and trombocytes, as well as the piglets rearing indices were evaluated in the experiment carried out on 24 sows and their progeny. After mating sows were divided into groups: I - control, conventional soybean meal and conventional maize; II - genetically modified (GM) soybean meal and conventional maize; III - conventional soybean meal and GM maize; IV - GM soybean meal and GM maize. All used feed mixtures were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, however differed in presence or absence of genetically modified maize MON810 (5% for pregnant and 8% for lactating sows) and/or soybean meal MON-40-3-2 (4% for pregnant and 14% for lactating sows). Born piglets were allotted to the same group as their mothers. The study showed that feeding pregnant and lactating sows with mixtures containing genetically modified RR soybean or/and meal Bt maize did not significantly affect their reproductive characteristics and offspring performance. There was no effect of dietary treatment on haematological indices. Transfer of transgenic DNA from GM feed to blood was not confirmed.