Mushrooms and Selenium: A Surprising Team

Mushrooms are not just tasty; they can also do some cool chemistry. Two types, Pleurotus ostreatus and Hericium coralloides, can absorb and change selenium, a mineral found in soil. Scientists found that these mushrooms are better at absorbing one form of selenium, called Se(IV), than another form, Se(VI). They are 4 to 8 times more efficient with Se(IV). When these mushrooms absorb selenium, they change it into different forms. Over 98. 5% of Se(IV) is changed into organic forms, while some Se(VI) remains unchanged. The absorbed selenium is mostly found in water-soluble forms, with some in polysaccharides and proteins. In Pleurotus ostreatus, a significant amount of the absorbed selenium is selenomethionine, a beneficial compound. However, in Hericium coralloides, selenomethionine is less abundant. The water-soluble forms of selenium in these mushrooms include ten other metabolites, some of which have not been reported before. This suggests that mushrooms might have unique ways of processing selenium. This discovery is interesting because it shows that mushrooms can convert selenium into forms that might be beneficial for health. It also opens up new questions about how mushrooms interact with minerals in their environment.