In vitro assessment of bioavailability of selenium from a processed Japanese anchovy, Niboshi

Niboshi is a commonly used foodstuff that is processed from Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) in Japanese cuisine. It was previously demonstrated that Niboshi and its water extract contained highly bioavailable selenium for selenium deficient mice. In this study, we assessed the selenium bioavailability from the extract of the Niboshi, using cultured cells. The activity of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of rat dorsal ganglion cells and human cervical carcinoma cells incubated with selenium from the Niboshi extract was over 2 times of that of the extract-free control cells and comparable to that of cells incubated with selenious acid of the same selenium concentration. These results suggest that selenium from the Niboshi extract was utilized for synthesis of the selenoprotein. Such in vitro selenium bioavailability was consistent with our previous results of in vivo assessment in mice.