Bioaccessibility of selenium from Se-rich food grains of the seleniferous region of Punjab, India as analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis

In the present study, selenium (Se) bioaccessibility was measured in rice and maize cultivated in seleniferous soil of India using in vitro gastric (GA) digestion and gastro-intestinal (GI) digestion methods. The concentration of bioaccessible Se was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The total Se was observed to be about 58.0 mg kg(-1) and 29.0 mg kg(-1) in flours of rice and maize, respectively. Total Se content in maize flour sample after GA and GI digestions were approximately 9.5 mg kg(-1) and 15.0 mg kg(-1), respectively; and in case of rice samples, the levels were about 32.0 mg kg(-1) and 38.0 mg kg(-1), respectively. The results indicate that the bioaccessibility of GI digestion (51% in maize and 65% in rice) was higher compared to GA digestion (32% and 52% in maize and rice, respectively). In addition, the bioaccessible levels of Se were significantly more in case of rice compared to maize.