Quantitative analysis of selenium species in the edible parts of cabbage, carrot, tomato and green pea treated with selenate-enriched irrigation water

Background and aims Selenium (Se)-biofortified foods are able to compensate for Se deficient diets, but the proportion of different Se species varies among plant species, and the bioavailability of Se species also varies. This study aims to examine the Se species composition of four vegetables. Methods The effect of Se-enriched irrigation water on the concentrations of Se species in the edible parts of cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and green peas grown on different soil types was investigated and quantified using HPLC-ICP-MS with either standard addition or isotope dilution. Results Cabbage leaf and carrot root contained a high proportion (88 and 92%, respectively) of selenate (SeVI), while in tomato fruit and green pea seed selenomethionine (SeMet) was found in the highest proportion (33% and 48%, respectively), but elemental Se was also detected. The elemental Se concentration of peas was significantly higher on sandy soil (2.29 mg kg −1 ) than on sandy silt (1.38 mg kg −1 ) or silt soil (1.34 mg kg −1 ). In 100 g of fresh edible parts, the largest amount of Se species was found in cabbage leaves, but organic Se in the form of SeMet was the most abundant in green peas, being significantly higher than in carrots or tomatoes. Tomatoes contained a nearly three-fold ratio of organic Se to inorganic Se, the latter being mostly comprised of the elemental form, which is unusually high in vegetables. The highest rate of unknown Se species exceeded 66% in the case of peas, while the highest identification rate (> 95%) of Se could be achieved in tomato. Conclusion Tomatoes converted the absorbed Se into organic Se in the highest ratio, while green peas had the highest amount of organic Se in fresh biomass, so biotransformation was the most effective for these vegetables without any significant biomass reduction. These vegetables may be adapted to soils with a higher Se content.