The Selenylation Modification of Epimedium Polysaccharide and Isatis Root Polysaccharide and the Immune-enhancing Activity Comparison of Their Modifiers

Cancer-Related Therapeutic Potential of Epimedium and Its Extracts

Epimedium is a Chinese herb known as "yin and yang fire," first mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Many of the proprietary Chinese medicines used in clinical practice contain Epimedium as an ingredient, and its main active constituents include icariin, icaritin, and icariside II, among others. In addition to its traditional use in treating fatigue and sexual problems, modern research has confirmed that the main bioactive compounds in Epimedium have pharmacological effects such as antidepressant, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as inhibiting bone destruction, promoting bone growth, improving immune regulation and protecting the cardio-cerebral vascular system. With the continuous development of extraction and purification techniques, the development and use of bioactive compounds in Epimedium have significantly progressed, and the anticancer effect has received widespread attention. Since natural herbs have few side effects on the human body and do not easily develop drug resistance, they have long been the direction of research in cancer treatment. This review summarizes the latest research on the anticancer effects of Epimedium and its extracts, describes the bioactive compounds, pharmacological efficacy, and antitumor mechanism of Epimedium, and gives a new view on the administration and development of Epimedium.

Efficacy and potential mechanisms of the main active ingredients of astragalus mongholicus in animal models of liver fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Astragalus mongholicus (AM) is a Qi-tonifying and immune-regulating herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is increasingly regarded as a profound complementary medication in the treatment of fibrosis disease. Astragaloside (AS), astragaloside flavonoids (AF) and astragaloside polysaccharides (APS) are the main active ingredients of Astragalus Mongholicus (AM) that have a significant therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effects and possible mechanisms of the main active ingredients of AM including astragaloside (AS), astragalus flavone (AF) and astragalus polysaccharide (APS) in animal models of liver fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically searched ten databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest database, China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), VIP Information Chinese Periodical Service Platform (VIP), WangFang database and China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM) to identify relevant animal studies from inception to November 2022. The SYRCLE's risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality. The statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.

RESULTS

Twenty-three studies involving 482 animals were included. Studies quality scores ranged from 4 to 5. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (SMD, -3.87; 95% CI, -5.09 to -2.65; P < 0.00001) aminotransferase (AST) (SMD, -4.43; 95% CI, -5.77 to -3.08; P < 0.00001), hydroxyproline (HYP) (SMD, -2.94; 95% CI, -3.83 to -2.05; P < 0.00001) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (SMD, -2.82; 95% CI, -3.57 to -2.06; P < 0.00001) were the main outcome measures to be analyzed. The meta-analysis revealed that the main active ingredients of AM lowered the levels of known risk factors including liver index (SMD, -1.25; 95% CI, -1.63 to -0.87; P < 0.00001), degree of liver fibrosis (SMD, -1.93; 95% CI, -2.57 to -1.28; P < 0.00001), collagen α type I (Col)-1 (SMD, -3.71; 95% CI, -5.63 to -1.79; P = 0.0001), hyaluronic acid (HA) (SMD, -2.65; 95% CI, -3.69 to -1.61; P < 0.00001), laminin (LN) (SMD, -2.06; 95% CI, -2.51 to -1.61; P < 0.00001), type IV collagen (CIV) (SMD, -3.04; 95% CI, -4.34 to -1.74; P < 0.00001), procollagen typeIII (PCIII) (SMD, -2.60; 95% CI, -3.15 to -2.05; P < 0.00001), albumin (ALB) (SMD, -1.19; 95% CI, -1.63 to -0.75; P < 0.00001), total bilirubin (TBiL) (SMD, -3.63; 95% CI, -5.39 to -1.88; P < 0.0001), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) (SMD, -5.27; 95% CI, -6.94 to -3.61; P < 0.00001) and Smad3 (SMD, -4.11; 95% CI, -7.17 to -1.05; P = 0.009) level.

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis demonstrates the effective role of the main active ingredients of AM in preclinical studies of liver fibrosis. The underlying mechanisms may be related to attenuation of oxidative stress, modulation of inflammatory response and inhibition of collagen production. However, due to the significant heterogeneity and poor quality of included studies, positive findings should be treated cautiously.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO ID CRD42023382282.

Selenium Modification of Natural Products and Its Research Progress

The selenization of natural products refers to the chemical modification method of artificially introducing selenium atoms into natural products to interact with the functional groups in the target molecule to form selenides. Nowadays, even though scientists in fields involving organic selenium compounds have achieved numerous results due to their continuous investment, few comprehensive and systematic summaries relating to their research results can be found. The present paper summarizes the selenization modification methods of several kinds of important natural products, such as polysaccharides, proteins/polypeptides, polyphenols, lipids, and cyclic compounds, as well as the basic principles or mechanisms of the selenizing methods. On this basis, this paper explored the future development trend of the research field relating to selenized natural products, and it is hoped to provide some suggestions for directional selenization modification and the application of natural active ingredients.

Research progress on the extraction technology and activity study of Epimedium polysaccharides

More pharmacological effects of polysaccharides from traditional Chinese medicines have been discovered in recent years. Epimedium has been used for thousands of years as a traditional Chinese medicine in China. Water-soluble Epimedium polysaccharides is one of the main ingredients of Epimedium, which is one of the main active ingredients of Epimedium, mainly composed of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, and galactose. The extraction methods of Epimedium polysaccharides including hot water extraction, cellulase extraction, ultrasonic extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound compound enzyme and ultra-high pressure extraction, they affect the yield of Epimedium polysaccharides. The characteristics of deproteinization including enzyme deproteinization, macroporous resin deproteinization and Sevag methods are introduced respectively. Some chemical modification methods of Epimedium polysaccharides are also involved such as phosphorylation, sulfation, selenization, and lipids encapsulated. Epimedium polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological activities, including immune promotion, reproduction promotion, anti-osteoporosis, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-fatigue and antivirus, also beneficial to nervous and hematopoietic systems. At present, the research of Epimedium polysaccharides has been in depth. In this paper, the research progress on extraction, purification, chemical modification methods and pharmacological activity of Epimedium polysaccharides summarized. The aim is to provide reference for further research and development of Epimedium polysaccharides.

Immunoenhancement activity of Bletilla striata polysaccharide through MAPK and NF-κB signalling pathways in vivo and in vitro

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f., is a traditional Chinese medicine, and the Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is one of the principal components extracted from Bletilla striata with various biological activities. Previous studies have shown that many natural polysaccharides have significant immunomodulatory activities. However, as a plant polysaccharide, the research of BSP on immunomodulatory activities is limited. In this study, we aim to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of BSP in vivo and further explore its underlying mechanism in vitro. In vivo, a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppression mice mode was established by intraperitoneal injection of CTX, and the immune-enhancing effect of BSP (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) on immunosuppressed mice were evaluated. The result indicated that BSP could significantly improve the immune organ index and the content of immunoglobulin, TNF-α and IL-4 in serum. It was also found that BSP could clearly ameliorate the spleen damage induced by CTX. Meanwhile, the result showed that BSP could not only improve the proliferation of splenocytes, but also activate the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and acid phosphatase (ACP) in mouse spleen tissue. In vitro, potential mechanism was further revealed in macrophages. The result supported that BSP could activate macrophages with high phagocytic ability, and induce macrophages to secrete cytokines. Finally, it revealed that activation of NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathway should be the underlying mechanism of the immunoenhancment of BSP.

A review on plant polysaccharide based on drug delivery system for construction and application, with emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharide

Carbohydrate polymers with unique chemical composition, molecular weight and functional chemical groups show multiple potentials in drug delivery. Most carbohydrate polymers such as plant polysaccharides exhibit advantages of biodegradability, ease of modification, low immunogenicity and low toxicity. They can be conjugated, cross-linked or functionally modified, and then used as nanocarrier materials. Polysaccharide drug delivery system can avoid the phagocytosis of the reticuloendothelial system, prevent the degradation of biomolecules, and increase the bioavailability of small molecules, thus exerting effective therapeutic effects. Therefore, they have been fully explored. In this paper, we reviewed the construction methods of drug delivery systems based on carbohydrate polymers (astragalus polysaccharide, angelica polysaccharide, lycium barbarum polysaccharide, ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, bletilla polysaccharide, glycyrrhiza polysaccharide, and epimedium polysaccharides, etc). The application of polysaccharide drug delivery systems to deliver small molecule chemotherapeutic drugs, gene drugs, and metal ion drugs was also briefly introduced. At the same time, the role of the polysaccharide drug delivery system in tumor treatment, targeted therapy, and wound healing was discussed. In addition, the research of polysaccharide delivery systems based on the therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine was also summarized and prospected.

Effects of selenylation modification on the antioxidative and immunoregulatory activities of polysaccharides from the pulp of Rose laevigata Michx fruit

Selenylation modification has been widely utilized to improve the activity of polysaccharides and to develop novel sources of selenium (Se) supplements. A purified pulp polysaccharide of Rose laevigata Michx fruit (PPRLMF-2) was selenized into Se-PPRLMF-2 in this study. PPRLMF-2 + Se was formulated by Na₂SeO₃ according to the Se content of Se-PPRLMF-2. To investigate the effects of selenylation modification on the structure and functions of PPRLMF-2, the characteristics, antioxidative and immunoregulatory activities of PPRLMF-2 before and after selenylation were compared. The results showed that compared with PPRLMF-2, Se-PPRLMF-2 became an irregular fibrous network, and its Mw decreased and C-6 substitution predominated in ¹³C NMR spectra. Se-PPRLMF-2 significantly increased chemical antioxidant activity and reduced the oxidative damage of erythrocytes, which was not due to Se alone. Se-PPRLMF-2 significantly increased immunomodulatory activity on macrophages, which was related to Se alone. Se-PPRLMF-2 could be a good potential source of antioxidants, immune enhancers and dietary Se supplements.

Polysaccharides derived from Chinese medicinal herbs: A promising choice of vaccine adjuvants

Adjuvants have been used in vaccines for a long time to promote the body's immune response, reducing vaccine dosage and production costs. Although many vaccine adjuvants are developed, the use in human vaccines is limited because of either limited action or side effects. Therefore, the development of new vaccine adjuvants is required. Many studies have found that natural polysaccharides derived from Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possess good immune promoting effects and simultaneously improve humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity. Recently polysaccharide adjuvants have attracted much attention in vaccine preparation because of their intrinsic characteristics: immunomodulation, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity and safety. This review article systematically analysed the literature on polysaccharides possessing vaccine adjuvant activity from TCM plants, such as Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharide (RGP), Isatis indigotica root polysaccharides (IRPS), etc. and their derivatives. We believe that polysaccharide adjuvants can be used to prepare the vaccines for clinical use provided their mechanisms of action are studied in detail.

Structural modification and biological activities of carboxymethyl Pachymaran

Polysaccharides are good chelating agents for metal ions, which are often used to synthesize polysaccharide metal ion complexes. With carboxymethyl pachymaran (CMP) as the substrate, carboxymethyl pachymaran iron (CMPF), carboxymethyl pachymaran selenium (CMPS), and carboxymethyl pachymaran zinc (CMPZ) were synthesized by response surface methodology, and their biological characteristics were studied. The results showed that the CMP was a β-polysaccharide, and the degree of carboxymethylation was 0.6352. The polysaccharide metal ion complexes were characterized by physicochemical methods, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All the polysaccharides and complexes possessed antioxidant activity in vitro with scavenging activities to ABTS, superoxide anions, and ferrous ions. CMPF, CMPS, and CMPZ caused significant inhibition of A2780 cell proliferation, promoted the production of reactive oxygen species, and induced apoptosis in a human ovarian cancer cell line (A2780 cells). These results suggest that the CMP complex may be an effective candidate drug for cancer treatment in the field of functional food and pharmacology.

Selenium-Containing Polysaccharides—Structural Diversity, Biosynthesis, Chemical Modifications and Biological Activity

Selenosugars are a group of sugar derivatives of great structural diversity (e.g., molar masses, selenium oxidation state, and selenium binding), obtained as a result of biosynthesis, chemical modification of natural compounds, or chemical synthesis. Seleno-monosaccharides and disaccharides are known to be non-toxic products of the natural metabolism of selenium compounds in mammals. In the case of the selenium-containing polysaccharides of natural origin, their formation is also postulated as a form of detoxification of excess selenium in microorganisms, mushroom, and plants. The valency of selenium in selenium-containing polysaccharides can be: 0 (encapsulated nano-selenium), IV (selenites of polysaccharides), or II (selenoglycosides or selenium built into the sugar ring to replace oxygen). The great interest in Se-polysaccharides results from the expected synergy between selenium and polysaccharides. Several plant- and mushroom-derived polysaccharides are potent macromolecules with antitumor, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and other biological properties. Selenium, a trace element of fundamental importance to human health, has been shown to possess several analogous functions. The mechanism by which selenium exerts anticancer and immunomodulatory activity differs from that of polysaccharide fractions, but a similar pharmacological effect suggests a possible synergy of these two agents. Various functions of Se-polysaccharides have been explored, including antitumor, immune-enhancement, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities. Due to being non-toxic or much less toxic than inorganic selenium compounds, Se-polysaccharides are potential dietary supplements that could be used, e.g., in chemoprevention.

Antioxidation, anti-hyperlipidaemia and hepatoprotection of polysaccharides from Auricularia auricular residue

As hyperlipidemia was a pathological progress by lipid dysfunctions, the present object was to investigate the hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Auricularia auricular residue polysaccharides (RPS) against HFE (high-fat emulsion) toxicities in mice. The structure analysis showed that the RPS was pyranose-polysaccharides mainly composed of glucose with the weight-average molecular weight of 2.00 × 10⁵ Da. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that the RPS had potential hepatoprotections by enhancing the antioxidant and anti-hyperlipidaemia status, and could inhibit the increasing body weights. Besides, the RPS could improve the glucose utilization with the oral glucose tolerance test (120 min) of 5.04 ± 0.12 mmol/L at the dose of 400 mg/kg bw. The results in present study demonstrated that RPS could be used as a functional foods and natural medicines against the HFE-induced hyperlipidemia and its complications.

Research progress on the biological activities of selenium polysaccharides

Selenium polysaccharides, an important organic selenium product, possess better antioxidant, antitumour, immune regulation, hypoglycaemic, and heavy metal removal activities than that of either polysaccharides or inorganic selenium.

Effects of Isatis root polysaccharide on boar sperm quality during liquid storage and in vitro fertilization

Liquid preservation of boar semen is a preferred method in pig husbandry, and antioxidants to protect against sperm oxidative stress during periods of storage have become the focus of recent research. Through its antioxidant activity, Isatis root polysaccharide (IRPS), a plant extract, can effectively reduce the cellular lipid peroxidation caused by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species inside mitochondria. In the present study, there was examination of the effects of no supplementation (Control) of a semen extender with or supplementation in different concentrations of IRPS (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.2 mg/mL) on sperm quality variables and antioxidant capacity during liquid storage. The results indicate that after prolonged storage (≥ 3 days), the sperm motility was greater in the group supplemented with 0.6 mg/mL IRPS than in the other groups (P <  0.05). The use of this IRPS concentration also resulted in maintanence of acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and antioxidant capacity of the sperm (P <  0.05). Furthermore, the results of an in vitro fertilization study indicate IRPS at 0.6 mg/mL markedly increased the sperm fertilization capacity (P <  0.01) and embryonic development to the blastocyst stage (P <  0.05). The addition of 0.6 mg/mL IRPS enhanced the antioxidant capacity of boar sperm, resulting in greater preservation of sperm motility and fertilization capacity during liquid storage. These findings indicate that IRPS has the potential to be used as a component of a semen-preserving diluent to maintain sperm quality during storage.

Comparative Analysis of Carbohydrates, Nucleosides and Amino Acids in Different Parts of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. by (Ultra) High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Evaporative Light Scattering Detector Methods

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. is one of the original plants for traditional Chinese medicines Trichosanthis Fructus, Trichosanthis Semen, Trichosanthis Pericarpium and Trichosanthis Radix. Amino acids, nucleosides and carbohydrates are usually considered to have nutritional value and health-care efficacy. In this study, methods involving high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD), UV-visible spectrophotometry and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were established for quantifying carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, stachyose, raffinose and polysaccharide), fourteen nucleosides and twenty one amino acids. Moreover, sixty-three samples from nine different parts, including pericarp, seed, fruit pulp, stem, leaf, main root, main root bark, lateral root and lateral root bark of T. kirilowii from different cultivated varieties were examined. The established methods were validated with good linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery. The results showed that the average content of total amino acids in roots (15.39 mg/g) and root barks (16.38 mg/g) were relatively higher than for others. Contents of nucleosides in all parts of T. kirilowii were below 1.5 mg/g. For carbohydrates, fruit pulp has a higher content than others for glucose (22.91%), fructose (20.63%) and polysaccharides (27.29%). By using partial least-squared discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), Variable importance in the projection (VIP) plots and analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis, the characteristic components of the different organs (fruit, stems and leaves, roots) were found. This analysis suggested there were potential medicinal and nutritive health care values in various parts of the T. kirilowii, which provided valuable information for the development and utilization of T. kirilowii.

Selenylated plant polysaccharides: A survey of their chemical and pharmacological properties

Polysaccharides from plants and fungi are considered nowadays as powerful pharmacological tools with a great therapeutic potential. In the meantime, efforts have been addressed to set up effective chemical modifications of naturally occurring polysaccharides to improve their biological effects as well as to positively modify some key parameters like solubility, bioavailability, pharmacokinetic, and similar. To this concern much attention has been focused during the last decade to the selenylation of natural polysaccharides from plants, algae, and fungi, the use of which is already encoded in ethnomedical traditions. The aim of this review article is to provide a detailed survey of the in so far reported literature data and a deeper knowledge about the state of the art on the chemical and pharmacological properties of selenylated polysaccharides of plant, algal, and fungal origin in terms of anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and immunomodulatory activities. In all cases, literature data revealed that selenylation greatly improved such properties respect to the parent polysaccharides, indicating that selenylation is a valid, alternative, and effective chemical modification of naturally occurring carbohydrates.

Inactivation of Kupffer Cells by Selenizing Astragalus Polysaccharides Prevents CCl4-Induced Hepatocellular Necrosis in the Male Wistar Rat

Selenizing astragalus polysaccharides-3 (sAPS₃) was prepared by nitric acid-sodium selenite method. The effects of sAPS₃ on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced hepatocellular necrosis, and its underlying mechanisms were studied in male Wistar rats. Hepatic damage was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ twice a week, for 3 weeks. Meanwhile, the rats in addition to CCl₄ were also exposed to sodium selenite (SS), astragalus polysaccharides (APS), SS + APS or sAPS₃, in parallel by oral gavage once a day for 3 weeks. At the end of 3 weeks, blood and liver tissue were taken. Serum was collected to test the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and antioxidant status parameters. Liver tissue was collected for histopathological examination and determination of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of CD68, TNF-α, IL-1β and ATG7 followed by the measurements of CD68, IL-1β and LC3II by immunohistochemistry assay (IHC), or TNF-α by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The results showed that sAPS₃ effectively ameliorated CCl₄ induced hepatocellular necrosis and inflammation and significantly decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, malondialdehyde and the expression levels of Kupffer cells (KCs)-specific biomarker CD68 and proinflammatory cytokines produced by activated KCs such as IL-1β and TNF-α (P < 0.01). While increasing the levels of total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase (P < 0.05) and reduced the expression levels of a key regulator of autophagy in KCs ATG7 or LC3II (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that sAPS₃ could ameliorate CCl₄-induced hepatocellular necrosis by inactivation of Kupffer cells and its activity may be superior to the application of selenium, APS or combination of selenium with APS.

Selenium Polysaccharide SPMP-2a from Pleurotus geesteranus Alleviates H2O2-Induced Oxidative Damage in HaCaT Cells

Selenium- (Se-) enriched polysaccharide SPMP-2a was extracted and purified from Pleurotus geesteranus. SPMP-2a is a white flocculent polysaccharide and soluble in water, with a molecular weight of 3.32 × 10⁴ Da. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectral analysis indicated that it belongs to an acid Se polysaccharide with α-D-glucopyranoside bond. The effects of Se polysaccharide SPMP-2a in P. geesteranus against hydrogen peroxide- (H₂O₂-) induced oxidative damage in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells were evaluated further. Reduced cell viability and elevated apoptotic rates in H₂O₂-treated HaCaT cells were proven by MTT and flow cytometry assays. Hoechst 33342 staining revealed chromatin condensations in the nuclei of HaCaT cells. However, with the addition of SPMP-2a, cell viability improved, nuclear condensation declined, and cell apoptotic rates dropped significantly. Ultrastructural observation consistently revealed that treatments with SPMP-2a reduced the number of swollen and vacuolar mitochondria in the H₂O₂-treated cells compared with the controls. Furthermore, SPMP-2a increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. Western blot analysis showed that SPMP-2a treatment effectively increased B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein expression. Therefore, SPMP-2a could improve cellular antioxidant enzyme activities, reduce ROS levels, and increase Bcl-2 protein expression levels, thereby reducing cell apoptosis and protecting HaCaT cells from H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage.

Mechanisms of Selenium Enrichment and Measurement in Brassicaceous Vegetables, and Their Application to Human Health

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for human health. Se deficiency affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, particularly in developing countries, and there is increasing awareness that suboptimal supply of Se can also negatively affect human health. Selenium enters the diet primarily through the ingestion of plant and animal products. Although, plants are not dependent on Se they take it up from the soil through the sulphur (S) uptake and assimilation pathways. Therefore, geographic differences in the availability of soil Se and agricultural practices have a profound influence on the Se content of many foods, and there are increasing efforts to biofortify crop plants with Se. Plants from the Brassicales are of particular interest as they accumulate and synthesize Se into forms with additional health benefits, such as methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys). The Brassicaceae are also well-known to produce the glucosinolates; S-containing compounds with demonstrated human health value. Furthermore, the recent discovery of the selenoglucosinolates in the Brassicaceae raises questions regarding their potential bioefficacy. In this review we focus on Se uptake and metabolism in the Brassicaceae in the context of human health, particularly cancer prevention and immunity. We investigate the close relationship between Se and S metabolism in this plant family, with particular emphasis on the selenoglucosinolates, and consider the methodologies available for identifying and quantifying further novel Se-containing compounds in plants. Finally, we summarize the research of multiple groups investigating biofortification of the Brassicaceae and discuss which approaches might be most successful for supplying Se deficient populations in the future.