Abstract

Nutritional research is being the most required ground, due to the existing human health and micronutrients deficiencies. Hence, urged the need to supplement the micronutrients through the diet. Fortification is known to be an effective way to improve the organic content in plants. Fortification of micronutrients will lead to biochemical modifications, during its assimilation into the plants. This in turn affects the plant growth parameters and consequently the nutritional profile of the fruits. Thus, the present work is carried out to study the effect of selenium (Se) fortification on the biochemical characteristics. However, results can differ significantly among the different modes of fortification, concentrations of inorganic source supplemented and the cultivars. Hence, this work includes fortification by three methods; like seed soaking, soil application and foliar spray using sodium selenate as inorganic source. Compared with the control, the selenium fortification had improved the growth parameters and the fruit quality. The reduction of photosynthetic pigment contents indicates the site of selenium accumulation in the chloroplasts, which reduced the pigment production. It was supported by increase in nitrate and total protein contents by 28.5 and 25% respectively in the fruits. Similarly increase in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity by 46.54 and 54% respectively, in T4 concentration of foliar spray method proves the nutritional enhancement on selenium fortification. The results suggested that foliar application of sodium selenate at 8 and 10mg.L-1concentrations could accelerate high selenium accumulation in tomato plants. The highest amount of total selenium was recorded as 52.24 μg.g-1DW in T4 fruits by foliar application. The form of selenocompounds accumulated in the fortified fruits was investigated as MeSeCys and SeMet. The biochemical characterization proved the nutritional quality enhancement of selenium fortified tomatoes by its increase in total phenolic and total protein contents. It indirectly indicates the increase in antioxidant enzyme production in the selenium fortified tomatoes. It is indispensable to emphasize selenium fortification in different genotypes, to develop the selenium fortification. Thus, selenium fortified tomatoes can serve as a nutraceutical food to improve the human health.