Selenium bio-fortification: an alternative to improve phytochemicals and bioactivities of plant foods

Abstract

Plants are major food sources which possess marvelous health benefits to human beings. To the present age, the effort to improve composites in plants using a bio-fortification technique is expedient to obtain super plant foods. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that works on antioxidant system in living beings. Plants have been bio-fortified with Se worldwide to increase Se content in addition to improving the bioactive compounds and biological properties. However, restricted documents were elucidated on the summary and underlying mechanisms which provide beneficial effects on plant phytochemicals and bioactivities improvement. Accordingly, this review article attempts to study available literature on Se bio-fortified plants while also clarifying possible routes through which Se may affect plants biochemical process. Increasing the content of Se bio-fortified in plants resulted in both positive and negative effects. The appropriate exogenous concentration of Se bio-fortification varies among the individual plants as different species have the ability to accumulate and tolerate different levels of Se. The concentration of Se which can support growth or induce them to the early stage of stress are strategic to provide desired effects on an improvement of phytochemicals. Moreover, Se bio-fortified molecules acts as a protectant against drought, cold, UV, heavy metals, and salt strains. The greater antioxidant, anti-cancer, and prebiotic properties were also reported from an increased amount of phytochemical and the synergistic effects of Se and plant phytochemicals. However, higher doses of Se fortified were toxic to plants at specific levels. Consequently, Se bio-fortification can be claimed as a unique strategy to improve plant treasures.