Microalgae enriched in selenium as a good source of micronutrients

Abstract

Recently, the market for plant-based products has been growing rapidly growing due to the increasing popularity of so-called "novel foods". Many people choose to incorporate plant-based products into their diets because of the potential health benefits. Innovative food sources are also being sought to supply the body with essential nutrients. Microalgae, including Arthrospira platensis or Chlorella vulgaris, are examples of plant products that are valuable sources of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Enriching commercially available microalgae with elements essential for humans may be the answer to addressing the deficiency of many elements in the diets of people worldwide.One of the elements whose deficiency in the diet is widely described in the literature is selenium. Therefore, the main objective of this work is the study of the identification of certain small molecular selenium-containing compounds in microalgae cultured on a selenium-enriched medium. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma ionization (HPLC-ICP-MS/MS) and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) were used as analytical techniques.The main conclusion and novelty of the research carried out was the confirmation of the possibility of selenium accumulation by microalgae and the presence of inorganic forms and the expected certain small organic forms, the bioavailability of which is beneficial for humans. The use of HPLC-ESI-MS/MS allowed for the identification of selenium compounds present in the studied microalgae - selenomethionine, selenohomolantionine, selenoadenosine and Se-adenosyl-L-homocysteine.