The role of the selenium in human nutrition. Analysis of the selenium content of wheat (A review)

Abstract

The authors discuss the importance of the selenium content of wheat in the human nutrition during which they deal with selenium as a component of enzymes, selenium deficiency of domestic animals, the role of selenium in the nutrition, in this connection the consequences of selenium deficiency and toxicity of selenium. Thereafter, analyzing the selenium content of wheat and its utilization, the contribution of cereals to the human’s selenium demand, selenium content of wheat cultivated on different soils, effect of technology (grinding) on the selenium content of flour, selenium species occurring in wheat, bioavailability of selenium content of various foods as well as the effect of selenium on the enzyme activity in wheat are treated. In the second part of the study availability of selenium content of soil is analyzed in different plants, mainly in wheat, possibilities for increasing selenium content in foods by increasing selenium content of soil is investigated, and finally incorporation of selenium in wheat is treated. It is established that selenium is an essential element for the human organism as it is co-factor of many enzymes. It also discussed that certain parts of the world can be extremely selenium deficient, and there are also such areas where selenium content of the soil reaches a toxic level. Different selenium forms are utilized differently in the humans and in animals, therefore it is not enough to analyze only the total selenium content but also the selenium forms should be analyzed. Finally, it is established that by increasing the selenium content of soil the selenium content of wheat can be considerably increased, which as being the most important cereals, can considerably contribute to the satisfaction of the human selenium requirements.