Soybean is a crop with a national production in Ecuador which is insufficient to meet its demand. Therefore, soybean seeds and soya beans are imported from countries where the use of transgenic soybean has been approved. As a consequence, there is a probability of finding this type of soybean in Ecuadorian territory. In this research, a detection and quantification SYBR Green-based method of genetically modified soybean was standardized. Primers used for the amplification corresponded to specific sequences of the two most representative recombinant elements in GM (genetically modified) crops, the 35S promoter from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (P35S) and NOS terminator from Ti plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens (TNOS). These elements generated 200bp and 69bp amplicons respectively. The quantitative analysis was performed generating a standard curve based on the amplification of certified reference materials with 0.01%, 0.1%, 1% y 10% of GM soybean event GTS 40-3-2, using the above mentioned primers. The detection limit was set at 0.01% while the quantification limit was set at 0.1%. In 2 of the 26 soybean samples analyzed, more than 0.1% of GMOs was found (sample 22 with 0.2% and sample 23 with 14%). Additionally, adventitious GMO presence was detected in 8 of the tested samples. Due to Ecuadorian GMO regulations, this kind of analysis is important in order to determine the presence of GMOs in Ecuador, and is clear evidence for the need of trained personnel and specialized institutions for the detection and analysis of GMOs.
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