Mung beans were cultivated hydroponically in a sodium selenite solution with a selenium concentration of 10 μg/ mL to obtain selenium-enriched mung bean sprouts (SeMBS). The majority of selenium molecular species in the SeMBS were identified as selenohomolanthionine (SeHL) by HPLC-ICPMS. Twenty-four male 4-week-old ICR mice were fed a selenium-deficient diet; after 3 weeks of feeding, one group (control group) continued to receive the basal selenium-deficient diet, and the other two groups (selenite and SeMBS groups) received the basic diet supplemented with 0.2 μg/g selenium as sodium selenite or SeMBS dry powder, respectively, for an additional 1 week. Selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GPx )activity were markedly increased in the two selenium-supplemented groups compared to the selenium-deficient control group. When comparing the selenite and SeMBS groups, which differ in selenium source, no difference was observed in GPx activity in the liver, kidney, or serum, but in selenium concentration, the SeMBS group showed slightly lower values than the selenite group in serum and kidney. These results indicate that SeHL, the major molecular species of selenium in SeMBS, can be effectively used as a selenium source.
