Abstract
Sweet potato plants were treated with selenium (Se). Spraying Se on the sweet potato leaves was an effective Se enrichment method and proteins were extracted from the sweet potato stem. The structural characteristics of the protein were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) detected more signals from the Se-enriched sweet potato stem protein (SSP), and the number of forms of Se chemical bonds gradually increased with increasing Se content, such as the Se-O bond in high Se-enriched SSP, indicating altered secondary structures.Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) indicated more Se atoms in the Se-enriched SSPs (SSSPs). The DSC results revealed that Se enrichment enhanced the thermal stability of the samples. Moreover, selenomethionine (SeMet), selenocystine (SeCys2), and methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) were determined to be the main Se forms in the SSSPs. Furthermore, the SSSPs showed relatively higher superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical scavenging activities than the blank, which indicates that SSSPs can be used as antioxidants. By recovering the proteins, the agricultural by-product—sweet potato stem can be further utilized, and the obtained Se-enriched proteins may contribute to human health.
Highlights
Selenium (Se), a trace mineral and an essential microelement that is of vital importance, is well known for its particular effects on gene expression and energy metabolism in living organisms as a component of the active sites of certain reductases and proteins and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake levels range between 50–60 μg per day, with small differences based on the gender and the age groups [1].the distribution of Se is extremely uneven around the world; low-Se areas are common, and approximately 112 million people lack dietary Se [2]
There is evidence that inorganic Se species are toxic to animals, unlike organic Se species; the former may induce toxic effects in neurons that may be involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology [6]
A0 is the absorbance of the control, Ax is the absorbance of the different samples, and Ax0 is the absorbance of blank control
Summary
Selenium (Se), a trace mineral and an essential microelement that is of vital importance, is well known for its particular effects on gene expression and energy metabolism in living organisms as a component of the active sites of certain reductases and proteins and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake levels range between 50–60 μg per day, with small differences based on the gender and the age groups [1].the distribution of Se is extremely uneven around the world; low-Se areas are common, and approximately 112 million people lack dietary Se [2]. By using the proteins effectively, the agricultural by-product—sweet potato stem can be further utilized, and the Se-enriched proteins may become a novel and valuable source contributing to human health
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