Characterization of selenium-enriched wheat by agronomic biofortification

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Nutritional Science
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Selenium (Se) deficiency is a global nutritional concern due to uneven soil distribution.
• Cereals, particularly wheat, are major dietary contributors to Se intake.
• Agronomic biofortification offers a promising approach to enhance crop nutrient content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of wheat to assimilate and biotransform selenium (Se) through agronomic biofortification.
• To determine the chemical forms of Se in wheat grains after supplementation.
• To assess the efficacy of different Se application methods (foliar and soil).

Main Methods:

• Wheat (bread and durum) was biofortified with Se using sodium selenate and sodium selenite via foliar and soil application at 100 g Se/ha.
• Se-species were extracted from mature wheat grains using enzymatic hydrolysis.
• High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) was used for Se speciation analysis.

Main Results:

• Selenomethionine was the predominant Se species in wheat grains, accounting for 70-100% of total Se.
• Inorganic Se (Se(VI)) constituted a minor fraction (<5%) of the total Se content.
• Results were consistent across both supplementation methods and wheat varieties.

Conclusions:

• Agronomic biofortification of wheat with Se is effective in producing grains rich in selenomethionine.
• This approach presents a viable strategy to improve human Se status via wheat-based foodstuffs.
• Wheat biofortification can enhance nutritional quality and address dietary Se deficiencies.