[Preventive effects of 4 Se-enriched plants on rat stomach cancer induced by MNNG 2. Safety of different selenium resources for prevention of stomach cancer].

OBJECTIVE

To guide the application of selenium (Se) in the prevention of human chronic diseases, the safety of different Se resources (selenite, Se-enriched garlic, Se-enriched broccoli, Se-enriched green kale and Se-enriched red kale) was investigated.

METHODS

Ninety rats were fed the basal diet for a week, divided equally into the control, N-methyl- N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and seven Se treatment groups. Rats were daily given 15 mg/kg bw of MNNG for ten days except those in the control group, and rats in seven Se supplementation groups were daily given 75 microg/kg bw or 150 microg/kg bw sodium selenite solution, 150 or 300 microg/kg bw Se as of Se-enriched plant suspension by gavage for 17 weeks. Rats were sacrificed at the end of 18th week, the liver glutathione S-transferase (GST), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were detected. Rats were given with the basal diet and water freely during the experiment. The data was statistically analyzed by SPSS 12.0 software.

RESULTS

All rats in Se 75 microg/kg bw of Se as sodium selenite group died within 6 weeks, the body weights of rats in 75 microg/kg bw of Se as sodium selenite group were significantly lower than those of rats in other groups, the serum AST and ALT activities of rats in 75 microg/kg bw of Se as sodium selenite group were significantly higher than those of rats in other groups, and only the Se supplementation of 75 microg/kg bw of Se as selenite led to rat liver pathological change.

CONCLUSION

Selenite is at least 4 times as toxic as Se-enriched higher plants selected in this experiment.