Synthesis of selenium-containing polysaccharides and evaluation of antioxidant activity in vitro.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human beings and many other forms of life. Organic Se from natural foods has higher bioavailability and is safer than inorganic Se species. In the present study, selenium-containing derivatives of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide with the highest Se content of 1703 μg/g were synthesized using H(2)SeO(3)/HNO(3) and BaCl(2) as a catalyst. The effects of the ratio of HNO(3) concentration and reaction temperature were investigated. Results of Raman and (13)C NMR spectroscopy indicated that C-6 substitution was predominant in selenized polysaccharide. A sharp decrease in M(w) was observed in the selenized reaction due to the acid environment. The in vitro antioxidant results suggest that selenium-containing polysaccharide should be applied as a novel selenium source in dietary supplements, with potent antioxidant properties.