Abstract
The present study examined the effect of fertilization with sodium selenite on the selenium content of tea and the nutritional function of Se-enriched tea. Selenium content of tea leaves was increased up to 0.36 μg g−1 by the application of sodium selenite to soil at 0.5 and 1.0 kg Se ha−1. Application by a Se-enriched organic manure at a rate of 0.5 kg Se ha−1 provided a higher biological availability of selenium for plant uptake compared with a similar amount of sodium selenite. Foliar spray of sodium selenite at 50–100 g Se ha−1 increased the selenium content to 0.32–1.45 μg g−1 in tea leaves sampled at the 8–26 days after spraying. Selenium content in the blood and liver, glutathione peroxidase activity in blood of rats were significantly enhanced by feeding of an extracted solution of Se-enriched tea leaves and sodium selenite. Glutathione peroxidase activity in liver of rats fed with Se-enriched tea was higher than that fed with sodium selenite, indicating that the selenium in Se-enriched tea leaves is a more effective Se source than sodium selenite. Increasing the Se level in food products through the application of a selenium fertilizer is a safe, effective and feasible means of increasing the selenium intake of human and animals in low selenium areas of China.
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Hu, Q., Pan, G. & Zhu, J. Effect of fertilization on selenium content of tea and the nutritional function of Se-enriched tea in rats. Plant and Soil 238, 91–95 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014266613165
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014266613165