Research progress on the mechanism of selenium uptake and metabolism by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the breeding

As one of the indispensable trace elements for both humans and animals, selenium plays a significant role in antioxidation, immune system regulation, nervous system protection, cancer prevention and detoxification of heavy metals. Inorganic selenium is strictly restricted in the food industry due to its high toxicity. However, the bio-enrichment of selenium technology can effectively convert the harmful inorganic selenium into safe and reliable organic selenium, which has become an effective way to prepare selenium-rich foods and their additives. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can naturally absorb and convert inorganic selenium such as selenite into organic selenium during cell proliferation process. Selenium-enriched yeast has the advantages of high selenium conversion rate, high organic selenium content, and rich nutrition, and has become an organic selenium source with comprehensive nutritional functions. The methods of biotransformation of organic selenium were reviewed, the mechanism of organic selenium conversion by S. cerevisiae and the breeding of selenium-enriched yeast strains were focusedly introduced, and looked forward to the strategies for improving the organic selenium conversion by S. cerevisiae, in order to provide a referenc for breaking through the technical bottlenecks of the selenium-enriched yeast industry.