<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>After its discovery, selenium was most noted for its harmful effects. Selenium was the first element identified to occur in native vegetation at levels toxic to animals. Poisoning of animals can occur through consumption of plants containing toxic levels of selenium. Livestock consuming excessive amounts of selenized forages are afflicted with “alkali disease” and “blind staggers”. Typical symptoms of these diseases include loss of hair, deformed hooves, blindness, colic, diarrhoea, lethargy, increased heart and respiration rates, and eventually death. On the other hand, selenium deficiency in animal feeds can cause “white muscle disease”, a degenerative disease of the cardiac and skeletal muscles. In this regard, this review paper attempts to summarize the essentiality of selenium for humans, animals, and plants and the role of selenium in plant metabolism and physiology.</p></abstract>

After its discovery, selenium was most noted for its harmful effects. Selenium was the first element identified to occur in native vegetation at levels toxic to animals. Poisoning of animals can occur through consumption of plants containing toxic levels of selenium. Livestock consuming excessive amounts of selenized forages are afflicted with “alkali disease” and “blind staggers”. Typical symptoms of these diseases include loss of hair, deformed hooves, blindness, colic, diarrhoea, lethargy, increased heart and respiration rates, and eventually death. On the other hand, selenium deficiency in animal feeds can cause “white muscle disease”, a degenerative disease of the cardiac and skeletal muscles. In this regard, this review paper attempts to summarize the essentiality of selenium for humans, animals, and plants and the role of selenium in plant metabolism and physiology.

The essentiality of selenium for humans, animals, and plants, and the role of selenium in plant metabolism and physiology

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Food Technology

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Alimentaria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

After its discovery, selenium was most noted for its harmful effects. Selenium was the first element identified to occur in native vegetation at levels toxic...

The essentiality of selenium for humans, animals, and plants, and the role of selenium in plant metabolism and physiology

Published Online: Oct 10, 2017

Page range: 75 - 90

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausal-2017-0005

Keywords
selenium deficiency, essentiality of selenium, selenium in plant metabolism and physiology

© 2017 F. Garousi, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The essentiality of selenium for humans, animals, and plants, and the role of selenium in plant metabolism and physiology

Published Online: Oct 10, 2017

Page range: 75 - 90

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausal-2017-0005

Keywordsselenium deficiency, essentiality of selenium, selenium in plant metabolism and physiology

© 2017 F. Garousi, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
selenium deficiency, essentiality of selenium, selenium in plant metabolism and physiology