Beef fat with omega-3 acids: not bad for a start
Chinese geneticists have created calves with meat rich in healthy omega-3 acids
The work with the results of the study is published in the journal Biotechnology Letters (Gong Cheng et al., Production of transgenic beef cattle rich in n-3 PUFAs by somatic cell nuclear transfer, in the public domain; a popular retelling of First beef with the goodness of fish is published in the Springer Select – VM section).
"Our results show that a new breed of cattle with a high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can be created in a relatively short time using transgenic technology," Linsen Zan from the Northwestern University of Agriculture and Forestry in Shaanxi Province (China) and his colleagues write in their article.
Omega-3 acids, contained, for example, in fish and walnuts, are considered the most beneficial for health. Omega-6 acids found in poultry, eggs, wheat, avocado and other sources are less useful. The predominance of omega-6 over omega-3 acids in the diet can contribute to obesity, the development of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Tsan and his colleagues managed to obtain genetically modified calves with an increased content of omega-3 acids in meat. Scientists embedded the FAT1 gene isolated from the DNA of nematode worms into the cells of calf embryos. It encodes an enzyme necessary for the conversion of omega-6 acids into omega-3. As a result, the scientists obtained cattle whose meat contained five times more omega-3 acids than usual. Previously, similar experiments were carried out on pigs, dairy cattle and sheep.
The problem in terms of the practical use of transgenic animals remains their high mortality, scientists say. Of the 14 genetically modified calves that Tsan and his colleagues received, 11 died before reaching the age of four months, mainly due to infections and improper development of internal organs. If infections can be attributed to insufficiently careful care of newborn calves, then abnormal development of internal organs may be a consequence of genetic modification, the authors of the article believe. Probably, changes in the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids affected the way organs are formed.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.05.2015