Selenium speciation and biological characteristics of selenium-rich Bailing mushroom, Pleurotus tuoliensis

Nowadays the study of selenium-rich mushrooms is very popular. In the present study, selenium speciation in fruiting body of Pleurotus tuoliensis was investigated in cultivation substrates with different concentrations of sodium selenite, as well as mycelia growth and mushroom development. The results showed that the P. tuoliensis mycelia appeared good tolerance to selenium at all test concentrations. A selenium concentration of 10 mg/kg promoted fruiting of P. tuoliensis; the fruiting bodies were of good quality and had a low malformation rate. HPLC–ICP-MS determined that organic seleniums enriched in stipes and caps existed mainly in the form of selenoCystine and selenoMethionine at selenium concentrations of 10-100 mg/kg. These findings suggest that P. tuoliensis could be developed as a selenium-rich mushroom product for use as a novel dietary source of bioavailable supplemental selenium.