Microalgae: A good carrier for biological selenium enrichment
Shuang Liu, Muhammad Abu Bakar Saddique, Yiming Liang, Ge Guan, HaiFeng Su, Beibei Hu, Songqi Yang, Xiumei Luo, Maozhi Ren
Abstract
• Microalgae exceed plants in Se tolerance, growth, and conversion. • Microalgae convert inorganic Se to crucial, usable forms, boosting one health. • Environmental factors affect microalgae absorption, transport, and metabolism of Se. • Se-rich microalgae are crucial in biofuel, bioresources, and biomass-based products. Selenium is a crucial micronutrient for human well-being, with significant contributions to antioxidant, anti-ageing, and antiviral activities. However, over one billion people globally struggle with selenium deficiency, leading to a pressing need for selenium supplementation. Conventional selenium-enrich food from plants and animals provides challenges in achieving precise selenium supplementation. Thus, it is crucial to discover selenium carriers that can be cultured in a controlled environment. Multiple studies have shown that microalgae are excellent carriers for selenium enrichment due to their rapid growth, suitability for plant consumption, ease of industrialization, high efficiency in converting organic selenium, and many others. This review focuses on single-celled microalgae, comprehensively reviewing their metabolic pathway, biological transformation, and valuable forms of selenium. Additionally, it forecasts the current application status and prospects of selenium-enriched microalgae in agriculture and global human health. This review provides a reference for the industrial supply of precise selenium-rich raw materials.