College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics/Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021 May;20(3):2914-2940. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12748. Epub 2021 Apr 9.
Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral micronutrient essential for human health. The diet is the main source of Se intake. Se-deficiency is associated with many diseases, and up to 1 billion people suffer from Se-deficiency worldwide. Cereals are considered a good choice for Se intake due to their daily consumption as staple foods. Much attention has been paid to the contents of Se in cereals and other foods. Se-enriched cereals are produced by biofortification. Notably, the gap between the nutritional and toxic levels of Se is fairly narrow. The chemical structures of Se compounds, rather than their total contents, contribute to the bioavailability, bioactivity, and toxicity of Se. Organic Se species show better bioavailability, higher nutritional value, and less toxicity than inorganic species. In this paper, we reviewed the total content of Se in cereals, Se speciation methods, and the biological effects of Se species on human health. Selenomethionine (SeMet) is generally the most prevalent and important Se species in cereal grains. In conclusion, Se species should be considered in addition to the total Se content when evaluating the nutritional and toxic values of foods such as cereals.
硒（Se）是一种对人体健康至关重要的痕量矿物质微量元素。饮食是硒摄入的主要来源。硒缺乏与许多疾病有关，全球多达 10 亿人患有硒缺乏症。由于谷物作为主食每天都被食用，因此被认为是摄入硒的良好选择。人们非常关注谷物和其他食物中的硒含量。通过生物强化可以生产富硒谷物。值得注意的是，硒的营养和毒性水平之间的差距相当小。硒化合物的化学结构而不是其总含量决定了硒的生物利用度、生物活性和毒性。有机硒形态比无机硒形态具有更好的生物利用度、更高的营养价值和更低的毒性。本文综述了谷物中硒的总含量、硒形态分析方法以及硒形态对人类健康的生物学效应。硒代蛋氨酸（SeMet）通常是谷物中最普遍和最重要的硒形态。总之，在评估谷物等食物的营养价值和毒性时，除了总硒含量外，还应考虑硒形态。
