title: Study of selenium distribution in the protein fractions of the Brazil nut, Bertholletia excelsa.
abstract: The high selenium content of the Brazil nut, Bertholletia excelsa, makes this seed a healthy food qualified as an antiradical protector. The studied nut contained 126 ppm of selenium. Selenium was found to be distributed in the nut protein fractions. The water-extracted fraction, which represented 17.7% of the cake protein, was the richest in selenium with 153 ppm. Analysis by HPLC-MS showed that selenium was linked by a covalent bond to two amino acids to form selenomethionine and selenocystine. The selenomethionine represented a little less than 1% of the total amount of methionine.
authors.affiliation: Cirad-Amis, PAA, TA 40/16, 73 rue J.-F. Breton, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Thavarith
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chunhieng
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pétritis
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elfakir
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brochier
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goli
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montet
mesh_terms: D031383:Bertholletia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003553:Cystine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis*; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D010940:Plant Proteins; C009226:selenocystine; D003553:Cystine; D012645:Selenomethionine; D012643:Selenium