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Biological Activity of Selenium in Plants: Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Phytotoxicity and Tolerance

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Selenium and Nano-Selenium in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement

Part of the book series: Sustainable Plant Nutrition in a Changing World ((SPNCW))

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Abstract

Recent studies provide increasing amounts of information on the biological activity of selenium (Se) in plants. Although this element is not essential for plants, it has been classified as a beneficial element due to its documented positive role in some plant species, especially when exposed to stress conditions. However, due to the narrow boundary between its beneficial and phytotoxic concentrations in plant tissues, the biological activity and physiological effects of Se may vary widely, depending not only on plant species but also on the chemical form of this element and the influence of environmental factors. Recent advanced molecular research has significantly contributed to elucidation of the biochemical transformations, impact on physiological processes, and biological action of Se in plants, critically determined by its chemical similarity to sulphur. It has been shown that the differences in the biotransformations of Se determine the possibility of the accumulation and level of Se in plant tissues. The positive role of Se is attributed mainly to the activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of plant antioxidant defence, but it is also related to improved mineral balance and a stimulating effect on the secondary metabolism in plants. In contrast, the phytotoxic effect of Se is associated with the formation of malformed selenoproteins, the occurrence of oxidative/nitrostative stress, disrupted homeostasis of essential nutrients, and/or hormonal imbalance. In this chapter, the mechanisms of Se phytotoxicity and tolerance at the physiological and biochemical level are summarized, taking into account the possibility of biofortification of plants with this beneficial element to improve their nutraceutical potential and stress tolerance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland

    Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak

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  1. Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak
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Correspondence to Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

    Mohammad Anwar Hossain

  2. Department of Horticulture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China

    Golam Jalal Ahammed

  3. Department of Plant Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

    Zsuzsanna Kolbert

  4. Soil & Water Department, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt

    Hassan El-Ramady

  5. Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

    Tofazzal Islam

  6. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Michela Schiavon

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Hawrylak-Nowak, B. (2022). Biological Activity of Selenium in Plants: Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Phytotoxicity and Tolerance. In: Hossain, M.A., Ahammed, G.J., Kolbert, Z., El-Ramady, H., Islam, T., Schiavon, M. (eds) Selenium and Nano-Selenium in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement. Sustainable Plant Nutrition in a Changing World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07063-1_17

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