Selenium Pretreatment Study

Selenium (Se) is an essential dietary trace element participating in the regulation of various physiological functions in both animals and humans through its incorporation into selenoproteins as the amino acid selenocysteine. Among many minerals Se has a special place being the most controversial trace element with a narrow gap between essentiality and toxicity. Indeed there are important environmental issues considering selenium as a pollutant from the one hand and global selenium deficiency on the other. In fact, Se deficiency is considered as a risk factor for the development of various diseases in human and animals. Decreased Se availability from soils as a result of low soil pH and usage of synthetic fertilizers is the major concern in European countries causing inadequate Se levels in food and feeds. Furthermore, it seems likely that sodium selenite used for the last 30 years as a feed supplement is not an optimal form of Se and the usage of organic selenium in animal diets could help to maintain optimal Se status as well as high immunocompetence, productive and reproductive performance. The aim of the present volume is to provide updated information on several important Se-related subjects, including Se status in Europe and ways of its improvement, advances in Se analysis and speciation in biological material, roles of selenium in poultry, pig and ruminant nutrition. Production of functional Se-enriched food, the relationship between selenium and mycotoxins, polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as reoviruses are also addressed. This collection of articles will provide nutritionists, veterinarians, human doctors, researchers and any other readers with new insights into the exciting world of the goddess of the moon - SELENIUM.

In July, 1988, more than 300 scientists from 29 different countries gathered at Tiibingen, W. Germany, in order to spend 4 days discussing their favourite trace element, selenium. This meeting continued the good tradition of three previous meetings held in Corvallis/Oregon, 1976, in Lubbock/Texas, 1980, and in Beijing/China, in 1984. Incidentally, the University of Tiibingen provided a unique historical background for a Symposium devoted to recent advances in biochemistry, pharmacology, human nutrition and human health; here, the first independent depart ment of Physiological Chemistry in Germany was founded in 1845. Pro fessor H9Ppe-Seyler elucidated here the hemin structure and his student Friedrich Miescher discovered the nucleic acids. This book contains one-half of the oral or poster presentations which were selected before the meeting was held on the basis of a one page abstract. It is the reader who will have to decide whether this time consuming policy of quality assessment was warranted or not.

The 4th International Conference on Selenium in the Environment and Human Health was held 18-21 October 2015 in SPaulo, Brazil. This conference provided an effective scientific communication platform for researchers in different disciplines worldwide to elucidate and better understand those complex roles of Se as both essential nutrient and enviro

Although toxic in large doses, selenium is an essential trace mineral in the animal diet and in some plants. It has a role in making antioxidant enzymes and a particular role in the functioning of the thyroid gland. This volume examines the chemical activity of selenium and its functional health effects eg towards cancers, in the heart and brain. It also covers other areas such as functional food enrichment, whole body metabolism, and the effects of selenium deficiency on health. Part of The Food and Nutritional Components in Focus series, this edited volume pools knowledge across scientific disciplines in a way that increases its applicability to a wide range of audiences. Victor Preedy’s own distinguished career in nutritional science has made him a prolific author of research articles and books in this area, and this project fills a gap in providing comprehensive synopses of food substances. Chemists, analytical scientists, forensic scientists, food scientists, as well as course lecturers will all benefit from this interdisciplinary title written by international experts in this area.

In the current edition, Selenium: Its Molecular Biology and Role in Human Health expands extensively on the previous editions providing readers with the most significant advances in the rapidly developing selenium field. Evidence from epidemiology and veterinary science supports the essential role of selenium in (human) health, but its split personality in both preventing and supporting cancer and also in promoting insulin resistance has become more clearly defined. The pivotal role of glutathione peroxidase 4 in a new process of programmed cell death, ferroptosis, brings new impetus to the field. Recently defined mutations in selenoprotein and biosynthesis factor genes have been identified in patients, and the resulting disorders further emphasize the significance of selenoproteins in human health. The mechanism of selenoprotein biosynthesis, the functions of selenoproteins, and the roles of dietary selenium have been further elucidated, and new regulatory mechanisms involving selenoproteins discovered. The book, therefore, covers the breadth of current selenium research. With up-to-date chapters written by leaders in their fields, it serves as an invaluable resource for novices as well as specialists.