Biochemical and morphological changes in spirulina during selenium nanoparticle biosynthesis

Abstract

Selenium is a trace element strictly necessary to ensure normal metabolism in the human body. There are currently 25 known selenoproteins, all of which are involved in metabolic processes aimed at preventing and fighting various diseases. The average daily recommended amounts of selenium for adults are about 55 μg. Athletes, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and people working in harmful conditions require higher doses of selenium. Selenium is predominantly present as selenomethionine in breadstuffs and grains, garlic, sea kale, olive oil, beer yeasts, legumes, olives, cocoa, pistachios, cashew, oat and buckwheat grain, and also in meat, seafood, milk, and dairy products. Spirulina biomass contains insignificant amount of selenium, 16.1 μg/g. At the same time, the biomass can be enriched with this element by the addition of various selenium compounds to the nutritive medium for cultivation of Spirulina.