ABCA holds technical session on new organic selenium source at VIV Asia
ABCA, a yeast specialties business under AB Agri Group, presented important information of a new organic selenium source during a technical session at VIV Asia 2015 in Bangkok.
Damian Moore, an independent technical nutritional consultant, was invited to present some of the breakthrough information from a scientific paper "Seleniun Biochemistry and Bioavalability - An Update", of which he is a co-author with senior Australian academic professor Wayne Bryden.
Prior to this discovery, the variety of selenium-yeasts generally produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae had the predominant selenium (Se) compound as selenomethionine.
"The industry has been educated that a product's effectiveness and bioavailability as an organic selenium source should be benchmarked by its selenomethionine level. This method of product evaluation may not be appropriate anymore since the discovery of the new or alternative form of selenoamino acid - selenohomolanthionine. It is identified and represents a large proportion of organic selenium in this next generation selenium yeast (found in the company's product AB Tor-Sel)," explained Moore.
He added "An important fact is that the principal metabolised form of Se in animal tissues is selenocysteine, not selenomethionine. Cellular Se concentration is a key regulator of its incorporation into selenoproteins and selenoprotein incorporate selenium only in the form of selenocysteine."
According to him, selenocysteine biosynthesis represents the main regulatory point for selenoprotein synthesis and not absorption as occurs with many nutrients.
He concluded, "Selenomethionine is not incorporated into selenoproteins directly and therefore, is not a participant in the regulation of selenium hemeostasis. Selenomethione can mimic methionine by sharing the metabolic pathways with it, while in contrast, selenohomolanthionine has shown priorities in terms of simplicity and direct metabolic pathway without interfering with other aminoacids (i.e. methionine).
Reduced risk of sub-clinical toxicity is an additional consideration. Comparative studies in Japan have shown when compared to selenomethionine, selenohomolanthionine prefers to be distributed to the kidney without inducing the onset of pancreatic damage in mice.
Furthermore, comprehensive trials at universities in Australia and in a test centre in France have indicated that AB Tor-Sel, being rich in selenohomolanthionine, might contribute to its enhanced performance as an effective source of organic selenium compared to conventional selenium yeast products predominates with selenomethionine.
Observed benefits included achieving better animal performance and significantly higher selenium deposition in eggs, chicken meat and pork."
Moore suggested that selenohomolanthionine could be a safer and potentially better source of selenium, especially when required to use at higher levels in production of Se-enriched foods for human consumption.
"AB Tor-Sel is high potency selenium yeast (4000ppm) with unique molecular make-up that improves bio-availability and selenium retention in animal tissues – keeping the 'batteries charged," added James Charteris-Hough, managing director of ABCA, in his concluding statements.