University of Science and Technology of China Jinsong ZhangSelenium is a promising agent for chemoprevention and chemotherapy of cancer. However, presentresearch data indicate the supranutritional dose and even higher level are necessary for better efficacy. Thesedoses approaches toxic dose. The dilemma in selenium argues the exploration of novel selenium form withlower toxicity and higher biological functions is urgent. The long-held opinion is elemental selenium is biologi-cal inert. We show that elemental in nano particles has high bioavailability and substantial low toxicity, indicat-ing its promising application in chemoprevention and chemotherapy.
This review analyzes the research data of selenium in liver diseases conducted by China scientists in recentyears. It is found from these researches that suboptimal selenium in serum is a common phenomenon of liverdiseases, the severer, the more deficient; supplementation of selenium in nutritional level is beneficial for dis-eases control and better recovery of drug treatments; selenium may inhibit hepatitis virus by adjusting immunity,increasing antioxidant defense, and suppressing mutation; selenium at nutritional level could prevent liver fibrosisin rats models as well as liver cancer in either animal models or human
