Selenium Nutritional Status of Rural Residents and Its Correlation with Dietary Intake Patterns in a Typical Low-Selenium Area in China

China is recognized as a selenium-deficient country, and nutritional selenium intake has always been a concern. To clarify the current inhabitants’ selenium nutrition status and the characteristics of dietary consumption in low-selenium areas, samples of human hair and grains were collected, and food frequency questionnaires were administered in Binxian County, Shaanxi Province, a typical low-selenium area in the Loess Plateau. The subject number of the study is 85, and the age range is from 11 to 81 years, with an average of 60. The results showed that the average hair selenium content of the residents was 231.7 μg/kg, and 62.4% of the participants had levels higher than the selenium deficiency threshold (200 μg/kg). There was a significant positive correlation between the hair selenium content and the food consumption score after adjusting for rice outsourcing. Three different dietary patterns were noted according to hierarchical cluster analysis. This study provides a tool for assessing the selenium nutrition of inhabitants in low-selenium areas and has considerable significance for improving the dietary pattern of residents.

Hair Concentration of Selenium in European Bison in Relation to Sex and Age, with Regard to Liver and Kidney Se Levels

The average selenium levels measured in the analyzed European bison individuals (N = 22) were as follows: 0.137±0.041SD μg/g dry weight (DW), 0.175±0.032 and 1.004±0.239 μg/g wet weight (WW) in hair, liver and kidneys, respectively. Broken down by sex, the average hair selenium concentration was 0.140±0.046 and 0.134±0.037 μg/g DW in males and females, respectively. No significant differences in hair selenium content were found in relation to sex. As far as age is concerned, hair selenium content was 0.142±0.042 in calves; in the group of bison over 2 years of age, however, lower levels of selenium (0.126±0.040 μg/g DW) were recorded. There were no significant differences between the age groups in terms of selenium content. Based on our research and current literature data, we could presume selenium deficiency in the studied animals.