Project description
A solution to achieve the appropriate level of selenium in Se-deficient diets
About 3 billion people worldwide are affected by low intakes of the essential nutrient selenium (Se). The Se present in our diet its intimately linked with the amount of Se in soils, and therefore related crops, which can vary dramatically from region to region. Inadequate dietary Se intake is related to the risk of developing chronic degenerative diseases. The EU-funded Se4All project will explore Se-enriched edible plants as a solution to overcome this issue. Specifically, it will produce Se-enriched dairy products and cheese as functional foods through Se-biofortified alfalfa hay for feeding milking cows. Se will be applied directly to the plant (foliar application), instead of to the soil, in order to achieve transferability of the methodology to different regions.
Objective
Micronutrients are essential for maintaining a good human health, and although they are needed in only trace amounts, deficiencies reportedly affect 3 billion people worldwide. One of such micronutrients is selenium (Se). This element is a cofactor of many enzymes (e.g. glutathione peroxidase or thioredoxin reductase) and it is important for the protection against oxidative stress demonstrating the highest activity as a free radical scavenger and anti-cancer agent, T-cell immunity, and its role regulating the thyroid hormone metabolism. Currently, inadequate dietary Se intake affects up to 1 in 7 people globally with the associated risk of developing many chronic degenerative diseases. Animals, including humans, are not able to easily transform inorganic species of Se into organic forms and, in fact, due to its toxicity, the human body can tolerate only very low levels of inorganic Se. However, plants are able to transform the inorganic species of Se to seleno-amino acids, which are the forms of selenium desired for animal diets. The selenium present in our diet comes indirectly from the reservoir in soils. Thus, regions with low Se level in soils would provide Se deficient diets. In order to overcome this problem, the elaboration of functional foods starting from Se-enriched edible plants has been proposed as a solution to overcome low levels of Se in the diet of animals and humans. This research action is aimed to produce Se-enriched dairy products and cheese as functional food through Se-biofortified alfalfa hay for feeding milking cows. To achieve the transferability of the methodology to different regions, Se will be applied directly to the plant (foliar application), instead to the soil, overcoming issues related with the unpredicted bioavailability of Se in soils with different physicochemical characteristics. Hence, this methodology will ensure an appropriate level of Se into the diet regardless the particularities of the agricultural soil.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedairy
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencessoil sciencesedaphology
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureindustrial cropsfodder
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spain