A solution to achieve the appropriate level of selenium in Se-deficient diets
The UAB leads the European project Se4All to produce selenium-enriched milk products and cheeses by biofortifying alfalfa with this micronutrient through foliar application. The aim is to find a solution to reach an adequate level of selenium in diets poor in this mineral. The kick-off meeting for the project will be taking place on 22 and 23 June.
21/06/2021
The selenium (Se) present in our diet comes indirectly from soil reservoirs. Thus, in regions with low levels of selenium, soils can lead to diets deficient in this mineral, which is essential for a healthy body. In order to find a solution to the low levels of selenium in the diet of animals and humans, the European project Se-bioFORtified ALfaLfa for Se-enriched Dairy products (Se4All), coordinated by the UAB, proposes manufacturing dairy products and functional formats by feeding milking cows with Se-biofortified alfalfa.
To ensure that the compounds and the methodology developed can be applied in different regions, the research team, led by Manuel Valiente, professor of the Department of Chemistry at the UAB, announces that Se will be applied directly to the plant, through foliar application, instead of 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 in the diet regardless of the particularities of the agricultural soil.
Se4All is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (MSCA-RISE) action from the Horizon 2020 Programm. With a budget of 662,400 euros, it will be realised over the next four years by a consortium composed by the UAB, the Università Degli Estudi di Roma La Sapienza (Italy), ALBA synchroton (Spain), Beal Organic Cheese (Ireland) and REDINN Rete Europea Dell'Innovazione (Italy). Three Argentinian research centres are also participating in the project: the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and the Institutos Nacionales de Tecnología Agropecuaria and Tecnología Industrial. The kick-off meeting for the project takes place on 22 and 23 June.
Micronutrients are essential for maintaining good human health. Although they are only needed in minimal amounts, selenium deficiency is thought to affect 500 to 1,000 million people worldwide, according to data from StatPearls (2020). It is a cofactor for many enzymes and is important for protection against oxidative stress and to maintain an optimal immune function.