Food Chemistry of Selenium and Controversial Roles of Selenium in Affecting Blood Cholesterol Concentrations

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia, one of the major risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, is a worldwide public health problem. Nutraceuticals and phytochemicals are attracting attention as a result of their cholesterol-lowering ability and minimal side effects. Among them, selenium (Se) is on the list. The amount of Se in foods varies by region. Se-enriched fertilizers and feeds can raise the Se content in plants and animals, while some processing methods decrease food Se content. This review summarizes recent studies on (1) the content distribution of Se in foods and factors influencing Se-enriched foods, (2) the bioavailability and metabolism of Se, and (3) the role of Se in affecting blood cholesterol and cholesterol metabolism. Although the hypocholesterolemic effect of Se is equivocal, its cholesterol-lowering activity may be more remarkable when the Se supplementation is 200 μg/day or the baseline blood total cholesterol is above 200 mg/dL in humans with low Se status.

Selenium in Bodily Homeostasis: Hypothalamus, Hormones, and Highways of Communication

“…In brook trout cells, cortisol secretion was restored by pregnenolone, suggesting that selenite impaired cortisol secretion in this cell line by disrupting pregnanolone synthesis. Pregnenolone is synthesized from cholesterol [ 243 ], and not only does selenium have a documented hypocholesterolemic effect, but the SELENOP receptor in the brain, LRP8, is heavily involved in cholesterol homeostasis, pointing towards a potential avenue for further investigation [ 244 , 245 ]. In the same study by Miller et al on rainbow trout cells, cortisol secretion was restored by N 6 ,2′-o-dibutyryladenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP) [ 242 ].…”

Understanding the Effect of Single Atom Cationic Defect Sites in an Al2O3 (012) Surface on Altering Selenate and Sulfate Adsorption: An Ab Initio Study

“…Moreover, selenate preferentially adsorbed in an outer-sphere configuration at low pH, 33 which explains the low selectivity of Al 2 O 3 for selenate adsorption. 18,23 These findings beg two questions: (1) is the surface water network the sole controller of selenate adsorption on metal-oxide adsorbents 34 and (2) can interactions between the oxo anion and surface cations overcome the water network effects? 35−37 The importance of these questions is further highlighted by the recent work of Johnston and Chrysochoou who found that the adsorption mechanism of selenate and sulfate changes from inner-sphere to outer-sphere on naturally occurring Al substituted Fe (hydro)oxides at higher Al concentrations.…”

“…Selenium is an essential micronutrient for all living beings; however, there is a narrow range between deficiency and toxicity. − Consumption of selenium above 400 μg/day causes nausea, diarrhea, tachycardia and gastrointestinal disturbances and induces long-term effects like selenosis, hair loss, abnormal functioning of the nervous system, hepatotoxicity, etc. − Leaching of selenium from anthropogenic practices such as agriculture irrigation, runoff from mining sites, e-waste landfills and natural reservoirs can cause high Se concentrations in drinking water. − Once in the water, selenium oxidizes to its oxo-anion forms, selenate (Se­(VI) or SeO 4 2– ) or selenite (Se­(IV) or HSeO 3 – ), which are equally toxic to humans. − Therefore, water treatment methods are required to decrease Se levels to below the EPA limit of 0.05 mg/L in water…”

Nanozyme‐encoded luminescent detection for food safety analysis: An overview of mechanisms and recent applications

“…Cholesterol, a key component of plasma components and membrane lipids, is indispensable for cells to grow and propagate(Garcia-Bermudez et al, 2019;Ma et al, 2019). However, the increased blood cholesterol is closely associated with atherosclerosis(Zhao et al, 2021). Therefore, Hong et al reported CuO NPs as POD-like nanozymes.…”