165 | Preliminary results of a nutritional intervention trial using selenium-biofortified strawberries

Antonino Salvatore Fiore, Luigi Di Rosa, Carola Pia Giordano, Sara Baldassano, Sonya Vasto | Department of Biological, Chemical, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Italy.

The present study aimed to examine whether the assumption for 30 days of strawberry biofortified with selenium in a healthy population would increase the selenium endogenous concentration and if it would impact, and to which extension, glucose homeostasis and hepatic function. Thirty -five healthy participants, male and female, were divided by double-blinding into two different groups that received control strawberry (100 gr/day), selenium biofortified strawberry (100 gr/day) or selenium in tabs (100 µg) for 30 consecutive days. The samples of blood were collected at the beginning (T0, baseline) and at the end of the nutritional intervention (T1) and the groups were compared for differences in serum selenium concentrations, glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, β-cell function, aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), albumin. The results showed that biofortification increased selenium concentration in strawberry by about 250%. The supplementation with selenium biofortified strawberry increased serum selenium levels by about 80%. It significantly reduced fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance and improved insulin sensitivity, and β cell function. It also reduced AST and GGT. These data suggest that supplementation for 30 days with selenium biofortified strawberry is safe, maintain selenium endogenous concentration within physiological range while improving glucose homeostasis and hepatic function.