Abstract
Selenium is a micronutrient that is essential for the proper functioning of all organisms. Studies on the functions of selenium are rapidly developing. This element is a cofactor of many enzymes, for example, glutathione peroxidase or thioredoxin reductase. Insufficient supplementation of this element results in the increased risk of developing many chronic degenerative diseases. Selenium is important for the protection against oxidative stress, demonstrating the highest activity as a free radical scavenger and anti-cancer agent. In food, it is present in organic forms, as exemplified by selenomethionine and selenocysteine. In dietary supplementation, the inorganic forms of selenium (selenite and selenate) are used. Organic compounds are more easily absorbed by human organisms in comparison with inorganic compounds. Currently, selenium is considered an essential trace element of fundamental importance for human health. Extreme selenium deficiencies are widespread among people all over the world. Therefore, it is essential to supplement the deficiency of this micronutrient with selenium-enriched food or yeast cell biomass in the diet.
Highlights
Selenium was discovered in 1817 in Gripsholm, a Swedish city, by a Swedish chemist JacobBerzelius [1], who was working in a chemical factory producing, among others, sulfuric acid and nitric acid
Selenomethionine, which is a dominant form in selenium yeast formulations, consists of a source of selenium in proteins; its use is a preferred strategy in preventing from deficiencies of this element in humans and animals
Selenium supplementation in diet is recommended in the treatment of pancreatitis, infertility, and asthma [69,92]
Summary
Selenium was discovered in 1817 in Gripsholm, a Swedish city, by a Swedish chemist Jacob. At the beginning of 1818, Berzelius repeated the experiments in a laboratory in Stockholm and found that the sediment investigated contains a new, previously undiscovered element, with properties similar to sulfur [2]. This substance was called selenium, from the Greek word “selene”, which means moon [3]. Increased interest in the biological role of selenium was observed in the 1950s, when it was discovered that this element exerts toxic effects. Increased accumulation of this element led to dystrophy of cardiac muscle or acute hepatic necrosis [4]. Studies conducted on the identification of selenoenzymes and selenoproteins initiated intensive studies on the role of this element in human and animal organisms [1]
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