<b>Food</b>

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (7-36) amide (GLP-1) is the most potent physiological insulinotropic hormone in humans. It is a potent blood glucose-lowering hormone that stimulates the secretion of insulin from pancreatic beta-cells. Scientists of Japan produced large amounts of a GLP-1 analogue, [Ser⁸, Gln²⁶, Asp³⁴]-GLP-1, which is resistant to trypsin-digestion, as part of a chimeric rice seed storage protein, a 26kDa globulin, in genetically modified rice seeds. Junction sites between GLP-1 analogue and globulin were replaced by tryptic cleavage sites. The highest level of GLP-1 analogue accumulation was ≈20–50μg per seed. We found that GLP-1 analogue derived from trypsin-digested genetically modified rice seeds stimulated insulin secretion from a mouse pancreatic beta-cell line, MIN6. These findings suggest that the consumption of genetically modified rice seeds containing elevated levels of the GLP-1 analogue may control blood glucose levels in humans.