Selenium enriched Hypsizygus marmoreus, a potential food supplement with improved Se bioavailability

Selenium is an essential element for mammals and Se-methylselenocysteine was considered as most beneficial Se forms for humans. To better understand Se biofortification in mushrooms and find biosynthetic Se-methylselenocysteine resource, we evaluated the effects of selenate, selenite, and selenium nanoparticles on the growth and development of Hypsizygus marmoreus, and analyzed their uptake and biotransformation in this edible mushroom. Our results showed the fruiting bodies yield was not affected by these inorganic Se forms at 0.5-40.0 mu g g(-1), and Se in caps was higher than that in stipes. The mycelia growth was more sensitive to selenite than selenate and SeNPs. The absorbed inorganic Se forms were converted to selenomethionine (9.0%-54.8%) and selenocystine (26.3%-79.2%) in mycelia, and to selenomethionine (51.8%-76.3%), Se-methylselenocysteine (18.8%-39.4%), and selenocystine (2.2%-3.1%) in fruiting body. The health beneficial Se-methylselenocysteine accounted for 18.8%, 39.4%, and 22.5% of the total Se content in fruiting bodies supplied by selenate, selenite, and SeNPs, respectively. The results, for the first time, revealed that SeNPs was converted to organic forms of Se in mushroom and the H. marmoreus will be a good resource for Se-methylselenocysteine biosynthesis. Altogether, the findings indicate that Se-enriched H. marmoreus is a novel Se food-based source for human beings.

Automated summary

The study revealed that the mushroom Hypsizygus marmoreus has a strong ability to absorb and convert selenium, converting inorganic selenium forms into organic selenium forms, with Se-methylselenocysteine being the most beneficial form. This suggests that selenium-enriched Hypsizygus marmoreus is a novel selenium food source for human beings.