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Untargeted Metabolomics from Biological Sources Using Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS)
Published on: May 20, 2013
Selenite biotransformation during brewing. Evaluation by HPLC-ICP-MS
Maria Sánchez-Martínez1, Erik Galvão P da Silva, Teresa Pérez-Corona
1Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda Complutense s/n. 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Talanta
|January 24, 2012
Summary
Brewing with Saccharomyces yeast effectively biotransforms inorganic selenium into organic selenium compounds, primarily selenomethionine, without impacting fermentation. This process yields Se-enriched beer with significant selenium incorporation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Food Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Yeast and lactic bacteria can convert inorganic selenium into organic forms.
- Selenium enrichment in food products is of growing interest.
- Understanding biotransformation during fermentation is crucial for producing functional foods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate selenium biotransformation during brewing using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum.
- To determine the impact of selenium addition on alcoholic fermentation.
- To identify the specific selenium compounds formed during the brewing process.
Main Methods:
- Addition of sodium selenite to fermentation media at various concentrations.
- Monitoring alcoholic fermentation parameters.
- Analysis of selenium compounds in beer and yeast using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS).
- Sample preparation involving ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis, dialysis, and anion exchange chromatography.
Main Results:
- Alcoholic fermentation was unaffected by selenium addition.
- Selenium incorporation into beer ranged from 55-60% for initial concentrations between 1.0 and 10 μg mL(-1).
- Selenomethionine was identified as the primary selenium compound in both beer and yeast.
- In beer, selenomethionine was found to be independent of peptides or proteins.
Conclusions:
- Saccharomyces yeasts efficiently biotransform inorganic selenium into organic forms during brewing.
- Selenium enrichment of beer is feasible without compromising fermentation quality.
- Selenomethionine is the predominant organoselenium species produced, offering potential nutritional benefits.

