BrainMap

Ana Varadi

- UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

PhD student

Expertise & keywords

Selenium biofortification: can we augment Allium species anticholesterolemic properties? Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1396 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://chem.ubbcluj.ro/~augustinmot/pn-iii-p1-1-1-te-2019-1396/

Abstract:

In a world where the “hidden hunger”—also known as micronutrient malnutrition—is the major form of nutritional insecurity with distressing consequences and under the proverbial banner “health comes from the farm not from the pharmacy”, recent attention has been directed to biofortified crops. These are expected to afford high bioavailable contents of essential micronutrients and could be developed by the consumers through the traditional agriculture and food commerce. Biofortification is dependent on physiological and biosynthetic ability of plants to produce or accumulate the required micronutrients. Although important advances in biofortified cereals have been performed, biofortified legumes and vegetables are underexploited. Among other micronutrients, selenium is an essential element for human and animals’ health and is obtained in their diet from plant sources whereas its deficiency leads to serious health problems. The three main goals of the project entail the comparison of seven edible Allium species in terms of total selenium uptake, Se speciation, growth and morphological effects as well as impact on their mineral and polyphenolic profiles followed by Se-metabolites interaction with recombinant squalene epoxidase—key enzyme in fungal ergosterol and mammalian cholesterol biosynthesis—and globins and finally the evaluation of the anticholesterolemic and antifungal activity of the Se biofortified Allium species extracts and their main phytochemicals. Outcome is expected to include development of relevant analytical protocols for Se speciation in plants, explanation and mechanism elucidation of the interaction and reactivity of Se compounds with key enzymes and identification of protocols and methodologies for plant Se biofortification. In the longer term, it is envisaged that the results will bring novel opportunities to better understand the key plant physiological pathways for biofortified crops that will aid diminishing “hidden hunger”.

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