Review: on published data and methods for selenium in mushrooms

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Selenium is an essential trace element with varying concentrations in mushrooms.
• Accurate selenium quantification is vital for assessing mushroom nutritional value and safety.
• Previous studies have reported a wide range of selenium levels in mushrooms, necessitating critical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review published selenium data in mushrooms.
• To evaluate the performance of analytical methods used for selenium determination in mushrooms.
• To identify and explain sources of error in selenium measurements.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies reporting selenium concentrations in mushrooms.
• Analysis of analytical methodologies, focusing on measurement techniques for selenium.
• Comparison of data obtained using different analytical methods for the same mushroom species.

Main Results:

• Many published selenium data in mushrooms were found to be dubious or excessively high.
• Improper application of flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) were common sources of error.
• Discrepancies in selenium values were observed when multiple analytical methods were applied to the same mushroom species.

Conclusions:

• The reliability of published selenium data in mushrooms is questionable due to methodological issues.
• Incorrect analytical methods and their improper use lead to biased selenium concentrations.
• Accurate selenium determination is essential to avoid misrepresenting the nutritional value of mushrooms.