Message from the Executive Editor Genetically modified organisms in processed foods and adverse effects on kidney functions
Authors:   Executive Editor (M.S., M.Ch, FICS, FAMS) Journal of Environmental Biology Lucknow (India), Dalela Divakar 
Published: January 2025

The advent of Genetic Engineering has paved a way to alter the genetic machinery of living organisms like plants, animals and microorganisms. This process involves recombinant DNA technology or Genetic editing where new genes from one species is introduced or incorporated into a completely unrelated species for obtaining specific or desired traits. Such organisms are known as genetically modified, genetically engineered or transgenic organisms (Bawa and Anilakumar, 2013). In comparison to animals, agriculture plants have been extensively subjected to genetic engineering to obtain new plants with improved and desired traits. Today, a wide array of genetically modified crops with varied traits like high crop yield, pests and disease resistant, abiotic and biotic stress tolerant, improved nutritional value, etc., are commercially cultivated all over the world. These crops have been approved by regulatory agencies like Food and Drug Administration for marketing and are available to us as fruits, vegetable, oils. The list includes vitamin enriched Golden rice, delayed ripening/ senescence tomatoes, Glyphosate herbicide tolerant sugarbeet, wheat and soybean, Canola and soybean with modified oil/fatty acid composition; fruits like apples, melon, papaya, plum, squash with antibiotic resistant traits and many more (Phillips, 2008; Zhang et al., 2016). Most crops have been genetically modified with multiple traits. GM crops are also used as animal feed.

Another term associated with GMO is 'GM foods' which refers to the foods produced from GMO-plants or animals. Several food products and packaged foods contain ingredients derived from genetically modified crops. For instance, Canola oil is a key ingredient in many foods and is sold as margarine or cooking oil. This oil is also used to make lipsticks. Similarly, Corn oil is also used as cooking oil and as an ingredient in prepared foods like mayonnaise, sauces and soups and also a frying agent for potato chips and French fries. GM cottonseed oil is also used as cooking oil and in salad dressing. GM maize is used in the production of ethanol, corn starch and high fructose corn syrup. Corn syrup is used as a sweetener in many foods and drinks. Highly refined sugar is produced from GM sugarbeets (Bawa and Anilakumar, 2013).

Although to certain extent, GM crops have overcome the challenges in areas related to population growth, food insecurity, malnutrition, however, production and consumption of GM crops still remains a contentious issue due to the health and ecological risks associated with them. Despite the undeniable advantages of GM crops, there's a growing public concern on the use of GM crops/food. It raises a question, “Can tempering or manipulation of a genome in an organism lead to hazardous effects on human? Do these genetically improved organisms cause diseases or disorders in human?” Long-term health effects of GM crops and foods on humans remain unknown due to limited studies, however, three major health risks viz. toxicity, allergenicity and genetic hazards have been associated with GM foods (Zhang et al., 2016).Toxicity studies on animals have reported the adverse effects of GM crops on the hepatic, pancreatic, renal and reproductive organs, and also alternation in the hematological, biochemical and immunological parameters (Dona and Arvanitoyannis, 2008). Hepato-renal toxicity and histopathological changes like congestion of renal blood vessels and cystic dilation of renal tubules in kidney have been reported in the rats fed on GM corn, maize varieties (de Vendomois et al., 2009; El-Shamei et al., 2012; Tehri et al., 2024). The prevalence of GMO ingredients in processed food makes it crucial to evaluate their safety, particularly for sensitive organs like the kidneys. Glyphosate, a herbicide commonly used with GM crops has also been implicated with kidney toxicity due to its residual presence infoods (Mesnage et al., 2015). Moreover, GMO-related allergens of anti-nutritional factors may exacerbate inflammation, indirectly affecting renal health.

The GMO crop rich foods have very high content of fructose per gram of the crop as compared to normal crop. The excessive intake of such foods can elevate blood fructose levels which at one hand enhance uric acid production by liver and the other hand reduce renal excretion of uric acid. The latter happens because high blood fructose enhance lactate production by liver and this lactate competes with uric acid for tubular excretion. This unintentional and persistent high uric acid levels may adversely affect renal functions.

While human data remain limited, these findings emphasize the need for long-term studies and stricter regulations on selective GMO foods. Minimizing processed food consumption can help mitigate potential risks.