title: New food from a potato somatic hybrid: nutritional equivalence and safety assessment by a feeding study on rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Potato tubers from the STBd somatic hybrid line that exhibited improved tolerance to salinity and resistance to fungal and PVY infections were characterised. They were compared for their chemical composition to the Spunta variety produced by conventional agronomic practices. This study aimed to compare nutritional value and safety by feeding rats with STBd or commercial tubers added to the standard diet (20/80 w/w).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of soluble sugar, fat, fibre and ash content of tubers did not reveal any significant differences between the hybrid line and the control Spunta variety. Small differences were observed in dry matter, starch and protein content of hybrid potatoes in comparison to controls. However, all values were within normal ranges reported in the literature. The feeding study on rats showed that overall health, weight gain, food consumption, morphological aspects and weights of organs were comparable between rat groups fed the STBd hybrid and the Spunta variety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, 28 days of consumption of STBd hybrid potato did not exert any adverse effect on rats compared with commercial Spunta potato. The STBd potato line was therefore considered to be as safe for food utilisation as the commercial variety.
authors.affiliation: Institut Préparatoire aux Etudes d'Ingénieurs de Sfax, Département de Biologie et Géologie, BP 1172, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Oumèma
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nouri-Ellouz
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Laboratoire de Physiologie Animale, BP 1171, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Najiba
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeghal
authors.affiliation: Université de Sfax, Département de Pathologie, CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makni
authors.affiliation: Université de Sfax, Laboratoire de Biochimie, CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Makni-Ayadi
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax, Département de Génie Biologique, BP 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mouhanad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trigui
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax, Département de Génie Biologique, BP 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Raoudha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ellouz-Ghorbel
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Laboratoire des Biotechnologies Végétales Appliquées à l'Amélioration des Cultures, BP 1171, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Noureddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Drira
authors.affiliation: Université de Sfax, Département de Pathologie, CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Tahya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sellami-Boudawara
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax, Département de Génie Biologique, BP 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Radhia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gargouri-Bouzid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion; D002149:Energy Intake; D063427:Food Quality; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D007668:Kidney / Q000254:growth & development; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010179:Pancreas / Q000254:growth & development; D057865:Plant Immunity; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017800:Potyvirus / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000254:growth & development; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: composition; potato; safety; somatic hybrid