Auricularia auricular could be useful as a candidate for human selenium supplementation. This study examined the effects of exogenous Se on the growth, yield, nutritive value, and mineral accumulation of A. auricular. Selenate or selenite (0.5–40.0 μg/g) had no effect on mycelium morphology or the yield of fruiting bodies. In some cases, they affected the accumulation of inter-elements and significantly decreased the concentrations of copper, iron, and chromium in the Se-enriched fruiting bodies compared to that with control treatments. The polysaccharide (116.5–131.6 μg/g) and protein (105.2–113.4 μg/g) content in Se-enriched fruiting bodies were not significantly different from those observed in the controls (polysaccharide, 114.1 μg/g; protein, 105.6 μg/g). Thus, A. auricular can absorb inorganic Se from the substrate and convert it to organic Se compounds (selenocystine (≥4.1%), selenomethionine (≥91.9%), and Se-methylselenocysteine (≥2.3%)).

Keywords: Auricularia auricular Selenium, Mycelium, Fruiting bodies Inter-element, Supplementation

Corresponding author: Yanbin Guo, guoyb@cau.edu.cn