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PubMed1987

Influence of maternal selenium status on human milk selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity.

This study assessed whether relationships existed between maternal indices of selenium (Se) nutrition and milk content of Se and activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Samples of milk (n = 72) collected at 4, 8, 12, and 16 wk postpartum and blood from lactating (n = 10) and control (n = 8) women were analyzed. Plasma and erythrocyte Se concentrations and plasma GSH-Px activity were significantly lower in lactating than in control women. Maternal plasma Se concentration was positively correlated with plasma GSH-Px activity (r = 0.53, p less than 0.01) and with milk Se content (r = 0.61, p less than 0.01) and GSH-Px activity (r = 0.51, p less than 0.01). Stage of lactation did not influence either milk or blood values. Milk Se concentration was positively correlated with milk GSH-Px activity (r = 0.81, p less than 0.001). Results indicate that human milk Se content and GSH-Px activity are directly influenced by maternal Se nutrition.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Dietary selenium intake and selenium concentrations of plasma, erythrocytes, and breast milk in pregnant and postpartum lactating and nonlactating women.

The selenium status of a group of 23 lactating and 13 nonlactating women was assessed from 37-wk gestation through 6-mo postpartum. The mean overall dietary Se intake of both groups of women was 80 +/- 37 micrograms/d. Plasma and erythrocyte Se levels were lower in the lactating than in the nonlactating mothers both before and after parturition. Breast-milk Se concentrations fell from 20 micrograms/L (0.25 mumol/L) at 1-mo postpartum to 15 micrograms/L (0.19 mumol/L) at 3- and 6-mo postpartum. A weak (r = 0.38) but statistically significant (p less than 0.025) relationship was observed between maternal plasma Se level and breast-milk Se concentration. The dietary Se intake of these lactating North American women appears sufficient to maintain satisfactory Se nutriture in their breast-fed infants during the first 6 mo of lactation.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Experimental selenium restriction in healthy adult humans: changes in selenium metabolism studied with stable-isotope methodology.

Mechanisms responsible for selenium homeostasis were investigated in healthy adult men receiving diets adequate or low in Se (eight subjects per group). The appearance of a stable isotope of Se, 74Se, in plasma, urine, and feces was measured after oral administration of 74Se-selenite. One group received a restricted level of Se (18 +/- 1 micrograms/d) for 30 d, which resulted in a decrease in urinary, fecal, and plasma Se content compared with the group that consumed 119 +/- 1 micrograms/d. Low Se intake also resulted in decreased urinary 74Se excretion (27.2 +/- 1.4% vs 32.5 +/- 2.3% of the absorbed dose for the adequate intake), increased body retention of 74Se (74.8 +/- 3.1% vs 67.6 +/- 3.8% of the absorbed dose for the adequate group), and a contracted selenite-exchangeable metabolic pool (Se-EMP) (9782 micrograms for adequate Se and 6314 micrograms for the low-Se group; p less than or equal to 0.05). Measurement of Se-EMP may provide an additional and sensitive approach for assessing Se nutriture in human subjects.

Absorption↗
PubMed1989

Tissue selenium levels in selenium-supplemented rats and their relevance in mammary cancer protection.

The present study was designed to investigate whether there is any correlation between the anticarcinogenic efficacy of selenium (Se) compounds and tissue Se retention under high levels of supplementation. With the use of the dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumor model in chemoprevention experiments, our data showed that selenomethionine was not as active as selenite over a graded dose range from 1 to 5 p.p.m. Se. Tissue Se concentrations in blood, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle were always higher in rats given selenomethionine compared with those given selenite at each of the three levels tested (1, 3 and 5 p.p.m. Se). The difference was only minimal in blood, but became more pronounced in the liver and kidney, and was quite dramatic in the skeletal muscle. Thus a high tissue concentration or total body burden of Se is not necessarily an indicator of reduced susceptibility to carcinogenesis. The bioavailability of the Se pool in maintaining liver glutathione peroxidase activity during a period of Se deprivation, following excess selenite or selenomethionine loading, was also assessed. The half-life of decay of the enzyme was calculated to be 4.2 and 9.1 days respectively, in those rats that had already been exposed to 3 p.p.m. Se as either selenite or selenomethionine. From a nutritional viewpoint, selenomethionine may be superior to selenite, especially with respect to maintenance of glutathione peroxidase during periods of Se inadequacy, but the reverse seems to be true in terms of anticarcinogenic potency under high levels of Se supplementation. These results suggest that the nutritional and anticarcinogenic efficacies of a given Se compound may not be parallel to each other.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗
PubMed1988

Effects of various dietary levels of selenium as selenite or selenomethionine on tissue selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in rats.

Weanling rats were fed a basal diet or this diet plus 0.2, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 mg/kg selenium (Se) as either selenite or selenomethionine (SeM). Except at the 0.2 mg/kg Se level, Se accumulated in all tissues at higher levels when SeM was fed than when selenite was given, and the magnitude of difference became more pronounced with increasing levels of dietary Se. This was particularly true for muscle and brain. Se levels in whole blood, testes, kidney and lungs were not significantly different between rats fed 0.2 mg/kg Se as selenite or as SeM, but the Se levels in liver, muscle and brain were higher in rats fed SeM. Although the tissue Se concentrations differed markedly, there were no differences in the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in tissues of rats fed SeM rather than selenite. The percentage of Se associated with GPX was lower in all tissues from rats fed SeM than in those from rats fed selenite. These results indicate that the chemical forms of dietary Se can have a marked influence on biological responses, including bioavailability of dietary Se.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Modulation of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase by perfluorodecanoic acid in rats: effect of dietary selenium.

Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a diet containing 0.4, 0.2 or 1.0 mg of selenium (Se)/kg of diet were injected with a single dose (35 mg/kg) of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) in corn oil and killed 2 wk later. Control animals were pair-fed and treated with an equal volume of vehicle. PFDA treatment significantly increased Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSHPx) activity in liver cytosol of rats fed the 0.04 mg of Se/kg of diet but not in rats fed the other diets. The increase in liver cytosolic Se-GSHPx activity in rats fed 0.04 mg of Se/kg of diet paralleled increases in Se content and serum Se-GSHPx activity. Determination of Se-GSHPx by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that PFDA caused a decrease in Se-GSHPx protein in rats fed 0.2 or 1.0 mg of Se/kg of diet but not in rats fed 0.04 mg of Se/kg of diet. Further analysis revealed that the ratio of Se-GSHPx activity to antibody-reactive protein was increased by PFDA in all three groups. The in vitro addition of PFDA directly to the assay mixture for Se-GSHPx activity did not produce any effect. Reduced glutathione was significantly increased by PFDA treatment in all three groups. These data show that PFDA affects the Se content, Se-GSHPx activity and Se-GSHPx protein in rat liver and that the effect is dependent on the dietary/hepatic Se level.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Dietary selenium supplementation is required to support full expression of three selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidases in various tissues of weanling pigs.

The current dietary allowance for selenium (Se) for pigs does not consider Se requirements for expression of several newly discovered Se-dependent enzymes and has raised environmental concerns. Our objective was to determine dietary Se requirements of young pigs for the full expression of cellular (GPX1), plasma (GPX3) and phospholipid hydroperoxide (GPX4) glutathione peroxidases. In Experiment 1, 18 weanling male pigs (4 wk old) were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet (BD, 0.03 mg Se/kg) with the addition of 0, 0.1 or 0.3 mg Se/kg (Na2SeO3). In Experiment 2, 24 weanling barrows (6 wk old) were fed a similar BD with the addition of 0, 0.2, 0.3 or 0.5 mg Se/kg. Both experiments lasted for 5 wk. Pigs fed the BD had lower (P < 0.05) tissue GPX1 and GPX4 activities, plasma GPX activity, and(or) plasma Se concentrations than those fed the Se-supplemented diets. In Experiment 1, GPX1 and GPX4 activities in liver, heart and lung were lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed 0.1 mg Se/kg than in those fed 0.3 mg Se/kg, although no such differences existed in thyroid or pituitary. Pigs fed 0.1 mg Se/kg also had lower (P < 0.05) plasma GPX3 activity at wk 5 and higher (P < 0.05) hepatic glutathione S-transferase activity than pigs fed 0.3 mg Se/kg. In Experiment 2, GPX1 and GPX4 activities in liver and heart, GPX1 and GPX4 mRNA levels in liver and GPX3 activity in plasma exhibited plateaus at 0.2 mg Se/kg. Pigs fed the BD had greater concentrations of F2-isoprostanes (a marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation) than those fed 0.2 mg Se/kg in plasma (P < 0.03) and liver (P < 0.04). We conclude that supplemental Se at 0.2 mg Se/kg of diet is required to support the full expression of three Se-dependent glutathione peroxidases in young pigs.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Selenium from high selenium broccoli protects rats from colon cancer.

Colon cancer is the third most common newly diagnosed cancer in the United States and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Previous supplementation studies have demonstrated the efficacy of selenium (Se) for prevention of colon cancer in humans. The metabolism of Se depends on its chemical form, and studies have shown that the chemical form of Se in broccoli does not accumulate in the body as fast as other forms of Se and may be especially beneficial for prevention of cancer. In the first experiment of the present study, Fisher F-344 rats (n = 45) were allotted randomly to torula yeast-based diets supplemented with the following: 1) no Se; 2) 0.1 microg Se/g diet as selenate; 3) 1.0 microg Se/g diet as selenate; 4) 0.1 microg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli (Se concentration of approximately 500 microg/g); or 5) 1.0 microg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli. In Experiment 2, rats (n = 80) were allotted randomly to the same basal diet supplemented with the following: 1) no added Se; 2) 2.0 microg Se/g diet as selenite; 3) 2. 0 microg Se/g diet as selenite + low Se broccoli; and 4) 2.0 microg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli. Rats were fed the diets for 2 wk and injected with a chemical carcinogen (3,2 dimethyl 4-amino biphenyl or dimethyl-hydrazine in Experiment 1 or dimethyl hydrazine in Experiment 2; 2 rats/treatment were used as vehicle controls). Supranutritional amounts of Se supplied as high Se broccoli significantly decreased (P: < 0.05) the incidence of aberrant crypts (AC) and aberrant crypt foci (ACF; preneoplastic lesions indicative of colon cancer) compared with other dietary treatments. Diets were controlled for the presence or absence of broccoli and for the total amount of Se. The reduction in AC and ACF was a function of Se in high Se broccoli and not a result of broccoli alone or Se alone. Adequate dietary Se supplied as high Se broccoli did not accumulate in tissues or increase glutathione peroxidase activity as well as other forms and amounts of Se. Thus, Se from high Se broccoli may be metabolized in a manner that diverts much of the Se into a pool that provides protection against colon cancer.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2005

Selenium enrichment of broccoli: interactions between selenium and secondary plant compounds.

Multiple components of broccoli, such as sulforaphane (Sf) and phenolic acids, may inhibit cancer. Additionally, broccoli can accumulate selenium (Se), and Se has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of cancer. Studies were conducted to determine whether enhancement of broccoli with Se would produce a plant with superior health benefits. Although increasing the concentration of Se in broccoli from <1.0 to >800 microg/g resulted in inhibition of colon cancer in rats, it also decreased the Sf content by >80% and inhibited production of most phenolic acids. The inclusion of Se-enriched broccoli in the diet of rats induced the activity of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase beyond the maximum activity induced by Se alone. These results emphasize the complex interactions of bioactive chemicals in a food; attempts to maximize one component may affect accumulation of another, and consumption of high amounts of multiple bioactive compounds may result in unexpected metabolic interactions within the body.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed2005

Effect of supplementing selenium yeast in diets of laying hens on egg selenium content.

An 8-wk experiment was conducted using 90 Hy-Line W-98 hens (26 wk of age) to evaluate the use of organic Se from Se yeast as an Se source for laying hens. At 22 wk of age, the hens were placed on a low Se corn-soybean meal pretest diet for 4 wk. At the end of the pretest period, hens were placed on 1 of 3 experimental treatments; the low Se diet without supplementation (basal diet), basal diet with 0.3 ppm of Se added from sodium selenite, or basal diet with 0.3 ppm of Se added from Se yeast. Diets contained 0.11, 0.38, and 0.34 ppm Se for basal, basal plus sodium selenite, and basal plus Se yeast diets, respectively. The experimental diets were each fed to 10 replicate groups of 3 hens for 8 wk (26 to 34 wk of age). Selenium levels in eggs (mg/kg of whole egg) were analyzed at 0, 4, and 8 wk. Egg Se contents at 0 wk were similar among treatments. Eggs from hens fed the 2 Se-fortified diets had higher (P < 0.01) Se concentrations than did eggs from hens fed the low Se diet at 4 and 8 wk. The Se yeast diet also yielded levels of egg Se that were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those from the sodium selenite diet at 4 and 8 wk. The Se yeast resulted in a 4.8-fold increase in egg Se concentration compared with a 2.8-fold increase for the sodium selenite diet over the unsupplemented diet at 8 wk (0.065, 0.182, and 0.311 ppm for the control, sodium selenite, and Se yeast diets, respectively). There were no differences in egg production, egg weight, feed intake, or mortality among treatments. Results of this study indicate that use of Se yeast in laying hens diets is very effective for increasing the Se content of eggs.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2006

Structural characterization of selenium and selenium-diiodine analogues of the antithyroid drug 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil and its alkyl derivatives.

The structures of four selenium analogues of the antithyroid drug 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil [systematic name: 2,3-dihydro-6-n-propyl-2-thioxopyrimidin-4(1H)-one], namely 6-methyl-2-selenouracil, C(5)H(6)N(2)OSe (1), 6-ethyl-2-selenouracil, C(6)H(8)N(2)OSe (2), 6-n-propyl-2-selenouracil, C(7)H(10)N(2)OSe (3), and 6-isopropyl-2-selenouracil, C(7)H(10)N(2)OSe (4), are described, along with that of the dichloromethane monosolvate of 6-isopropyl-2-selenouracil, C(7)H(10)N(2)OSe.CH(2)Cl(2) (4.CH(2)Cl(2)). The extended structure of (1) is a two-dimensional sheet of topology 6(3) with a brick-wall architecture. The extended structures of (2) and (4) are analogous, being based on a chain of eight-membered R(8)(6)(32) hydrogen-bonded rings. In (3) and (4.CH(2)Cl(2)), R(2)(2)(8) hydrogen bonding links molecules into chains. 6-n-Propyl-2-selenouracil.I(2), C(7)H(10)N(2)OSe.I(2) (7), is a charge-transfer complex with a ;spoke' structure, the extended structure of which is based on a linear chain formed principally by intermolecular N-H...O hydrogen bonds. Re-crystallization of 6-ethyl-2-selenouracil or (7) from acetone gave crystals of the diselenides [N-(6'-ethyl-4'-pyrimidone)(6-ethyl-2-selenouracil)(2)(Se-Se)].2H(2)O (9.2H(2)O) or [N-(6'-n-propyl-4'-pyrimidone)(6-n-propyl-2-selenouracil)(2)(Se-Se)] (10), respectively: these have similar extended chain structures formed via N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bonds, stacked to give two-dimensional sheets. Re-crystallization of (7) from methanol/acetonitrile led via deselenation to the formation of crystals of 6-n-propyl-2-uracil (11), in which six symmetry-related molecules combine to form a six-membered R(6)(6)(24) hydrogen-bonded ring, with each pair of molecules linked by an R(2)(2)(8) motif.

Antithyroid Agents↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of sulfur and selenium assimilation in Astragalus plants with varying capacities to accumulate selenium.

Several Astragalus species have the ability to hyperaccumulate selenium (Se) when growing in their native habitat. Given that the biochemical properties of Se parallel those of sulfur (S), we examined the activity of key S assimilatory enzymes ATP sulfurylase (ATPS), APS reductase (APR), and serine acetyltransferase (SAT), as well as selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT), in eight Astragalus species with varying abilities to accumulate Se. Se hyperaccumulation was found to positively correlate with shoot accumulation of S-methylcysteine (MeCys) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), in addition to the level of SMT enzymatic activity. However, no correlation was observed between Se hyperaccumulation and ATPS, APR, and SAT activities in shoot tissue. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing both ATPS and APR had a significant enhancement of selenate reduction as a proportion of total Se, whereas SAT overexpression resulted in only a slight increase in selenate reduction to organic forms. In general, total Se accumulation in shoots was lower in the transgenic plants overexpressing ATPS, PaAPR, and SAT. Root growth was adversely affected by selenate treatment in both ATPS and SAT overexpressors and less so in the PaAPR transgenic plants. Such observations support our conclusions that ATPS and APR are major contributors of selenate reduction in planta. However, Se hyperaccumulation in Astragalus is not driven by an overall increase in the capacity of these enzymes, but rather by either an increased Se flux through the S assimilatory pathway, generated by the biosynthesis of the sink metabolites MeCys or MeSeCys, or through an as yet unidentified Se assimilation pathway.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1988

The effect of selenium supplementation on immunity, and the establishment of an experimental Haemonchus contortus infection, in weaner merino sheep fed a low selenium diet.

Immunity in 12 weaner Merino sheep fed a low selenium (Se) diet (low Se sheep) was compared with that in 10 matching sheep fed the same diet but each given an intraruminal Se pellet (high Se sheep), while the sheep were housed in individual, sheltered pens. All sheep were challenged with killed Brucella abortus cells (days 0 and 28), rabbit red blood cells (days 0, 7 and 28) and corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis toxoid (days 0 and 28), and serum antibody titres were measured weekly for 8 weeks from day 0. The sheep were then experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus, and slaughtered 8 weeks later. The mean antibody titre to B. abortus, measured by 4 different tests, was significantly higher in the high Se sheep on occasions during the primary immune response phase (Rose Bengal test - day 21 (p less than 0.05), day 28 (p less than 0.025); complement fixation - day 7 (p less than 0.05); enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - day 14 (p less than 0.01); serum agglutination - no differences), but not during the secondary phase. The mean antibody titre to rabbit red blood cells, measured by haemagglutination test, was marginally higher in the high Se sheep on day 49 (p = 0.049). The mean antibody titre to C. pseudotuberculosis, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was not significantly different between the groups at any time during the trial. In addition, the mean in-vitro responsiveness of peripheral blood lymphocytes to stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin in the high Se sheep was significantly greater than that in 10 sheep from the low Se group on day 22 (p less than 0.01), but not day 50.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Effects of various dietary selenium intakes on the levels of blood glutathione-peroxidase and selenium in long-term fed rats.

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a torula diet or wheat diets containing 4 levels of Se partially supplemented (24-402 ppb) for 120 days. Selenium content and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in plasma and erythrocytes were measured every 20 days. In rats fed torula diet or basal wheat diet, plasma Se (P-Se) increased for up to 60 days, then remained constant, while erythrocytes Se (E-Se) and E-GSH-Px decreased in basal-diet rats during the first 40-60 days, then increased. In rats fed supplemented diets, P-Se and P-GSH-Px increased more rapidly than E-Se and E-GSH-Px, plateauing at 60-80 days. The best correlation was found between P-GSH-Px and dietary Se indicating that this index is the most sensitive for evaluating changes resulting from different Se intakes. In addition, correlations became more significant with time. The results from rats fed a low Se diet suggest the existence of regulatory mechanisms working in different ways and at different times in plasma and erythrocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The correlation between serum selenium and blood selenium in cattle.

The selenium (Se) concentration of paired blood and serum samples from cattle was determined by 2 methods: 1) atomic absorption spectroscopy using hydride generation (HG-AAS), and 2) inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy using hydride generation (ICP). Samples from 327 cattle were analyzed by HG-AAS, and samples from 344 cattle were analyzed by ICP. The data were examined by linear regression analysis, and the technique of inverse prediction was utilized to determine prediction intervals for estimating blood Se concentration from known serum Se concentration. The correlation coefficients, by simple linear regression of serum Se on blood Se, were 0.79 (r2 = 0.62) and 0.88 (r2 = 0.77) for the HG-AAS data and the ICP data, respectively. For the HG-AAS data, the inverse prediction formula for estimating blood Se when serum Se is known, at the 95% prediction interval, was [formula; see text]. For the ICP data, the inverse prediction formula for estimating blood Se when serum Se is known, at the 95% prediction interval, was [formula; see text]. The prediction intervals were quite wide, and the accuracy of estimating blood Se from a known serum Se was not useful for diagnostic purposes. The use of serum Se concentration to assess nutritional status of cattle with respect to Se does not appear to be appropriate.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effects of selenium deficiency on tissue selenium content, deiodinase activity, and thyroid hormone economy in the rat during development.

The iodothyronine deiodinases, D1, D2, and D3, all contain selenium (Se) in the form of selenocysteine at their active sites, and they play crucial roles in determining the circulating and intracellular levels of the active thyroid hormone (TH), T3. However, not only are serum T3 levels normal in Se-deficient rats but phenotypic and reproductive abnormalities are minimal, and it has been suggested that regulatory mechanisms exist to conserve Se in critical tissues. The present study was designed to determine, in rats: 1) whether the effects of Se-deficiency are greater in the fetus and neonate than in the adult; 2) whether there are tissues other than brain and thyroid in which deiodinase activities are maintained; 3) whether the maintenance of deiodinase activity in a specific tissue is associated with a concomitant preservation of Se level in that tissue; and 4) whether TH economy and general health is maintained over several generations. The tissues studied included liver, cerebrum, thyroid, pituitary, skin, brown adipose tissue, uterus, ovary, testis, placenta, and the implantation site (uterus plus contents) at E9. The results have revealed that, with the exception of liver, skin, and nonpregnant uterus, all of the tissues studied maintained substantial deiodinase activity (>50%) during prolonged Se-deficiency. Second, although the ability of a tissue to maintain deiodinase activity in the face of dietary Se deprivation was associated in some tissues with a concomitant local preservation of Se concentration, this was not the case for all tissues. Only when Se levels were decreased by more than 80% was deiodinase activity markedly decreased. Third, the effects of Se-deficiency were no greater in the fetus than in the adult; and fourth, at the level of Se-deficiency employed in this study, TH economy and general health were successfully maintained over six generations of Se-deficient rats. How Se levels are maintained in specific tissues, whether Se is sequestered in specific cells of a tissue or organ during dietary Se deprivation, and the precise mechanisms by which plasma T3 levels are maintained in Se-deficient animals remain unanswered. Further insights may be gained by using diets that are even lower in Se than those that were used herein and/or by conducting studies using radioactive forms of Se and thyroid hormones.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

[Influence of selenium on human health. Part 2. Relationship between selenium concentration in whole blood and physiological functions of the human body].

In order to study the influence of selenium (Se) on human health, the relationships between Se concentrations in whole blood and human body functions were studied in 331 healthy subjects living in Nagano Prefecture. The subjects with low concentrations of Se had lower values for hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood corpuscles, and for the function of pulmonary ventilation, as well as lower concentrations of glucose and albumin. A lowered concentration of Se may result in anemia, even though a deficiency of iron cannot be observed. On the other hand, the subjects with high concentrations of Se had higher concentrations of uric acid, glucose and total cholesterol, higher values for diastolic blood pressure and the thickness of fat under skin, as well as a higher index of liver function. Moreover, these subjects had a good index of physical constitution and strength, and presented a large total consumption energy value. These results may show that in man, high Se concentrations in whole blood, indicate higher element concentrations in serum and better indexes of physical constitution and strength.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Selenium distribution in wheat grain, and the effect of postharvest processing on wheat selenium content.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans, and wheat is a major dietary source of this element. It is important that postharvest processing losses of grain Se are minimized. This study, using grain dissection, milling with a Quadrumat mill, and baking and toasting studies, investigated the distribution of Se and other mineral nutrients in wheat grain and the effect of postharvest processing on their retention. The dissection study, although showing Se concentration to be highest in the embryo, confirmed (along with the milling study) previous findings that Se (which occurs mostly as selenomethionine in wheat grain) and S are more evenly distributed throughout the grain when compared to other mineral nutrients, and, hence, lower proportions are removed in the milling residue. Postmilling processing did not affect Se concentration or content of wheat products in this study. No genotypic variability was observed for grain distribution of Se in the dissection and milling studies, in contrast to Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. This variability could be exploited in breeding for higher proportions of these nutrients in the endosperm to make white flour more nutritious. Further research could include grain dissection and milling studies using larger numbers of cultivars that have been grown together and a flour extraction rate of around 70%.

Animals↗