Dietary Selenium Across Species

Area of Science:

• Nutritional biochemistry and molecular biology
• Comparative animal and human physiology
• Environmental science and food systems

Background:

• Selenium (Se) was recognized as an essential trace element, crucial for various biological functions.
• Understanding Se's role has evolved from deficiency diseases to molecular mechanisms involving selenoproteins.
• Se metabolism and requirements vary significantly across different species, impacting health and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the historical discoveries and current understanding of selenium's essentiality as a nutrient.
• To analyze Se's metabolic functions, dietary sources, requirements, and impacts of intake across species.
• To identify research needs for optimizing Se's application in food, nutrition, and health.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review and synthesis of existing research on selenium.
• Comparative analysis of selenogenomes and selenoproteomes in rodents, food animals, and humans.
• Examination of metabolic pathways, dietary impacts, and Se recycling in food and ecosystems.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of Se's essentiality, linked to molecular mechanisms of Se-responsive diseases.
• Comparative analysis highlights species-specific differences in Se utilization, requirements, and selenoprotein function.
• Insights into Se metabolites, strategies for improving Se status, and its environmental cycling are presented.

Conclusions:

• Selenium is indispensable for health, with diverse roles and requirements across species.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate Se's complex roles and optimize its use in nutrition and health.
• Understanding Se's impact on health and disease requires a species-comparative and molecular approach.