Study of selenium distribution in the protein fractions of the Brazil nut, Bertholletia excelsa.
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.
Chunhieng
Thavarith
T
Cirad-Amis, PAA, TA 40/16, 73 rue J.-F. Breton, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Pétritis
Konstantinos
K
Elfakir
Claire
C
Brochier
José
J
Goli
Thierry
T
Montet
Didier
D
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
D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D010940:Plant Proteins; C009226:selenocystine; D003553:Cystine; D012645:Selenomethionine; D012643:Selenium