Seleno-lactobacillus

Lactic acid bacteria are nonpathogenic bacteria commonly used in food processing. An evaluation was made of the capacity to concentrate selenium in species of Lactobacillus. A selenium concentration of 1 μg/mL in the culture medium yielded in a bacterial content of 400 μg/g dry biomass. Dialysis and TCA precipitation experiments of a native intracellular extract proved that at least 80% of the total selenium is associated with organic molecules. Seleno-cysteine was identified as the only seleno-amino acid present in the intracellular selenoproteins. This study shows that species of the lactic acid bacteria are able to concentrate selenium intracellular as seleno-cysteine, which could be applied in supplementation studies.     

Effects of selenium supplementation on thyroid hormone metabolism in phenylketonuria subjects on a phenylalanine restricted diet

Type I 5′-deiodinase was recently characterized as a selenocysteine-containing enzyme in humans and other mammals. Up to now, the effect of selenium (Se) supplementation on thyroid hormone metabolism in humans has only been reported in the very peculiar nutritional environment of Central Africa, where combined severe iodine and Se deficiency occurs. In this study, a group of phenylketonuria subjects with a low selenium status, but a normal iodine intake were supplemented with selenium to investigate changes in their thyroid hormone metabolism. After 3 wk of selenium supplementation (1 μg/kg/d), both the concentrations of the prohormone thyroxine (T4) and the metabolic inactive reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) decreased significantly. Clinically, the phenylketonuria subjects remained euthyroid before and after selenium supplementation. The individual changes of plasma Se and glutathione peroxidase activity were closely associated with individual changes of plasma T4 and rT3.     

Mutagenicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the Salmonella typhimurium/mammalian microsome system.

The mutagenicity of a series of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and of extracts from several Italian Senecio species containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids, including S. inaequidens, S. fuchsii and S. cacaliaster, were tested using the Salmonella typhimurium/mammalian microsome system. Retrorsine, senecivernine, seneciphylline and the Senecio extracts showed a weakly mutagenic activity.     

Selenium and Lactobacillus species

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for man and animal. Supplementation of Se has been done with Se-enriched yeast and inorganic Se compounds. In the present study a quantitative and qualitative evaluation was made of whether lactobacilli are able to concentrate Se. A high correlation was found between the bacterial Se concentration and the concentration of Se in the medium. The Se concentration in biomass was respectively 253 ± 50, 375 ± 33 and 407 ± 108 μg g⁻¹ dry weight for Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lact. plantarum and Lact. casei subsp. casei when 1 mg 1⁻¹ Se⁴⁺ was present in the medium. Manganese (Mn) was concentrated in Lact. plantarum and Lact. casei subsp. casei but not in Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The Mn concentration in biomass was higher compared to the Se concentration but this difference decreased when the concentration of Mn/Se increased in the culture medium. Copper, zinc and iron were also concentrated in biomass of Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Characterization of the bacterial selenocompound revealed that ⁷⁵Se was generally incorporated, as selenocysteine, into protein of Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Addition of L-cysteine to the medium decreased the bacterial Se content. It was concluded that Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus incorporated Se non-specifically into bacterial protein. The application of Se-enriched lactobacilli (Se-Lb) in Se supplementation would be an interesting approach since selenomethionine, which is the major selenocompound in commercialized Se-yeast, was not detected in Se-Lb and because lactobacilli are already widely used in human nutrition.     

Actisil application affects growth,flowering, and biochemical parameters in petunia in vitro and greenhouse

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - Mineral nutrients are necessary for the growth and development of plants. Previous studies have concentrated mainly on silicon-accumulating plants,...