en.Wedoany.com Report, On March 28, the world's first pilot platform for the biosynthesis of plant-based S-methylselenocysteine (hereinafter referred to as methylselenium) was launched in Wuhan, China.
The plant-based methylselenium biosynthesis technology was independently developed by the team of Academician Wang Hanzhong from the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. After on-site evaluation by an expert panel, the technology was unanimously recognized as a groundbreaking achievement in the global field of plant-based methylselenium. It achieves the natural biomanufacturing of methylselenium without addition, extraction, or separation, filling the global gap in the synthesis of high-concentration plant-based methylselenium.
Selenium is known as the "fire of life," "king of cancer prevention," and "longevity element," and is an essential trace mineral nutrient for the human body. However, 72% of China's land area is deficient or low in selenium, with approximately 700 million people having insufficient selenium intake. Data shows that the average daily selenium intake for Chinese adults is only 39 micrograms, far below the minimum recommended intake of 50 micrograms by the Chinese Nutrition Society.
Among various forms of selenium, S-methylselenocysteine can directly generate methylselenol, which has strong anti-cancer activity. When in excess, it can be excreted through respiration and metabolism. It is recognized as the best selenium nutritional fortifier. However, its production has long relied on chemical synthesis and microbial fermentation, which involve complex processes, environmental pollution, and difficulties in mass production, and it is hard to achieve synergistic effects with other nutrients.
To address this, Wang Hanzhong's team, after ten years of research, utilized molecular breeding technology to aggregate six key gene loci controlling selenium absorption and methylselenium synthesis. They developed a new specialized rapeseed variety, "Zhongyou Methylselenium No. 1," for methylselenium biosynthesis. Through coupled light-temperature control and precise water-fertilizer management, they achieved the precise synthesis of methylselenium within the plant. This resulted in a new plant-based methylselenium product with a total selenium content exceeding 230 mg/kg, organic selenium accounting for over 93% of total selenium, and S-methylselenocysteine constituting over 76% of the detectable selenium forms. Just 1 gram per day can meet the internationally recommended dosage for cancer prevention.
It is reported that the breakthrough in plant-based methylselenium biosynthesis technology will vigorously propel the selenium-rich industry from being driven by traditional "resource advantages" to a dual-driven model of "technological advantages + industrial advantages." This will help China seize the global scientific and technological high ground in the field of biomanufacturing rare nutrients.
