The trace element selenium (Se) is a crucial element for many living organisms, including soil microorganisms, plants and animals, including humans. Generally, in Nature Se is taken up in the living cells of microorganisms, plants, animals and humans in several inorganic forms such as selenate, selenite, elemental Se and selenide. These forms are converted to organic forms by biological process, mostly as the two selenoamino acids selenocysteine (SeCys) and selenomethionine (SeMet). The biological systems of plants, animals and humans can fix these amino acids into Se-containing proteins by a modest replacement of methionine with SeMet. While the form SeCys is usually present in the active site of enzymes, which is essential for catalytic activity. Within human cells, organic forms of Se are significant for the accurate functioning of the immune and reproductive systems, the thyroid and the brain, and to enzyme activity within cells. Humans ingest Se through plant and animal foods rich in the element. The concentration of Se in foodstuffs depends on the presence of available forms of Se in soils and its uptake and accumulation by plants and herbivorous animals. Therefore, improving the availability of Se to plants is, therefore, a potential pathway to overcoming human Se deficiencies. Among these prospective pathways, the Se-biofortification of plants has already been established as a pioneering approach for producing Se-enriched agricultural products. To achieve this desirable aim of Se-biofortification, molecular breeding and genetic engineering in combination with novel agronomic and edaphic management approaches should be combined. This current review summarizes the roles, responses, prospects and mechanisms of Se in human nutrition. It also elaborates how biofortification is a plausible approach to resolving Se-deficiency in humans and other animals.

Agronomy Extension Centre of PAU Ludhiana Posted as District Incharge at Kapurthala Punjab 144601 India

Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute Dinajpur 5200 Bangladesh

CSIRO Agriculture and Food 4067 Brisbane Australia

Department of Agronomy Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Nadia West Bengal 741252 India

Department of Agronomy Centurion University of Technology and Management Paralakhemundi 761211 India

Department of Biochemistry and Plant Physiology Centurion University of Technology and Management Paralakhemundi 761211 India

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamycka 129 165 00 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Life Sciences The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 58421 Pakistan

Department of Plant Physiology Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra Tr A Hlinku 2 949 01 Nitra Slovakia

Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Gazipur Gazipur 1706 Bangladesh

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Patancheru Hyderabad 502324 India

Regional Research Station Kapurthala Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana Punjab 144601 India

Subject Matter Specialist Nadia Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Gayeshpur Nadia West Bengal 741234 India

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