WO2005082168A1

WO2005082168A1 - High selenium system

Info

Publication number: WO2005082168A1
Application number: PCT/US2004/016609
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mohammad Badaruddin; Paul Belzer
Original assignee: Minn-Dak Growers Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-02-06
Filing date: 2004-05-26
Publication date: 2005-09-09

Abstract

A high selenium system for enriching the selenium content within crops grown in natural field conditions. The process includes identifying fields with high selenium content, growing and harvesting crops from the identified fields, sampling and testing the harvested crop, separating the high selenium portion of the harvested crop from the remaining portion for end usage, dividing the remaining portion of the harvested crop, performing a milling and fractionation process on the first group to increase selenium levels, and performing sprouting process on the second group to increase the selenium levels. The fractionated crop and the harvested sprouts are tested for selenium and only the high selenium content material is provided for end usage.

Description

High Selenium System CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not applicable to this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to selenium (Se) content in soils and crops more specifically it relates to high selenium systems for enriching the selenium contents within plant seeds grown in natural field conditions.

Description of the Related Art Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human and animal nutrition found in various crops (e.g. mustard seed, mustard sprouts, buckwheat seed, buckwheat sprouts, wheat, durum, beans and broccoli), meats, and fish. The daily selenium requirement in a typical human diet is generally 55 micrograms with a maximum daily dosage of 400 meg for adult established by National Academy of Sciences in 2000. Selenium is reported to be a potent antioxidant that clears the human body of free radicals and unstable oxygen molecules that can cause DNA damage which can lead to tumors. Selenium has also been reported to reduce cardiovascular diseases by preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol. l Selenium has also been reported to assist and potentially benefit various other medical conditions such as arthritis, male infertility, acne, aging, age spots, Alzheimer's, angina, anxiety, asthma, cataracts, cervical displasia, glaucoma, liver cirrhosis, epilepsy, fungal infection, goiter, high blood pressure, impotence, keshan disease, mercury poisoning, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, ulcers, tuberculosis, shingles, HIV/AIDS and ringworms. The selenium concentration in a food items is primarily determined by the content and availability of selenium in the soil. Overall selenium content varies from country to country. For example, the selenium content within foods produced in Europe, China, Russia and many areas in the United States are relatively low. Soils in the western parts of the State of North Dakota are generally rich in selenium thereby producing selenium rich food items. Commonly found selenium forms in soils are selenides, elemental selenium, selenites, selenates and organic selenium. Selenate and selenite are the most available forms to plants, which are generally found in well-aerated alkaline soils. Soils in the northwestern and southwestern parts of North Dakota are generally alkaline, well-aerated, and are rich in selenium. However, significant variations in the selenium content in soil from field to field in these areas make it very difficult to produce high selenium crop materials (0.4 ppm or above for buckwheat, 4.0 ppm or above for mustard). The average selenium content in crops grown in high selenium areas is about 0.2 ppm. In addition, various crops accumulate different levels of selenium in same soil conditions. Hence, producing high selenium crop materials (e.g. seeds, seed materials) based on publicly available soil selenium maps is not obvious without identifying the selenium status of a specific field. The demand for selenium in foods has increased in recent years. To satisfy this demand, selenium has traditionally been supplied through yeast. Recently, various other techniques have been attempted to produce foods with high selenium content. U.S. Patent No. 6,319,529 to Thompson teaches a "Selenium Diet Supplement and Method of Making" which is hereby incorporated by reference into this patent application. The '529 patent teaches the separation of a cereal germ from grain grown in selenium rich soil (total soil selenium at least 1 ppm) and plant materials from legumes having a selenium level of at least 0.2 ppm. However, Thompson does not establish a process of identifying high selenium fields for enriching selenium levels in whole grains grown under natural field conditions. Therefore, grain crops with desired high selenium of 0.2 ppm have not been segregated after harvest for use in high selenium supplement. Only separated germ (very small part of a grain) from grains are described in Thompson to achieve a desired selenium level of 0.2 ppm.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of selenium acquisition processes present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new high selenium system wherein the same can be utilized for enriching the selenium content within crops grown in natural field conditions. To attain this, the present invention generally comprises the process of identifying fields with high selenium content, growing and harvesting crops from the identified fields, sampling and testing the harvested crop, separating the high selenium portion of the harvested crop from the remaining portion for end usage, dividing the remaining portion of the harvested crop, performing a milling and fractionation process on the first group to increase selenium levels, and performing sprouting process on the second group to increase the selenium levels. The fractionated crop and the harvested sprouts are tested for selenium and only the high selenium content material is provided for end usage. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. A primary object of the present invention is to provide a high selenium content seed and seed materials and the process therein that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Another object is to provide a high selenium system that enriches the selenium content within crops grown in natural field conditions. An additional object is to provide a high selenium system that does not require the addition of fertilizers, artificial chemicals or any selenium rich materials to achieve desired selenium content. A further object is to provide a high selenium system that increases the selenium content within a harvested crop. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific use illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the overall process of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A. Overview The invention generally includes identifying fields with high selenium content, growing and harvesting crops from the identified fields, sampling and testing the harvested crop, separating the high selenium portion of the harvested crop from the remaining portion for end usage, dividing the remaining portion of the harvested crop, performing a milling and fractionation process on the first group to increase selenium levels, and performing sprouting process on the second group to increase the selenium levels. The fractionated crop and the harvested sprouts are tested for selenium and only the high selenium content material is provided for end usage.

B. Field Selection It is important to the present invention to identify fields with high plant available selenium content in soil (e.g. fields with plant available selenium content equal to or greater than 0.10 ppm). It has been established that high selenium levels in fields can result in high selenium content within a crop. There are publicly available maps that illustrate total soil selenium content in counties of the northern one-third part of North Dakota State (example of sources of these maps include the USDA and North Dakota State University). However, there currently are no publicly available maps or data that illustrates the available selenium content within specific fields. Since the selenium content within adjacent fields can vary greatly, it is important to identify the specific fields with high available selenium contents (e.g. fields with available selenium contents equal to or greater than 0.10 ppm). The present invention uses publicly available soil selenium content maps to identify the general location of potential available high selenium fields having a selenium content of greater than or equal to 0.10 ppm. Soil samples are taken from fields randomly (unbiased) and are then tested for their available selenium contents utilizing conventional selenium testing techniques. After the fields are tested, a map may be prepared illustrating the data of the fields tested. The test data may be illustrated in various other forms including but not limited to charts, tables and the like.

C. Planting and Harvesting Crops By utilizing the test data, the fields containing high available soil selenium levels are identified. High selenium fields are fields that have available soil selenium contents of greater than or equal to 0.10 ppm. Various types of crops may be grown within the selected fields, however, the applicant prefers to utilize mustard and buckwheat crops, which are known to have high capability to accumulate soil selenium. After the crop is selected, the crop is then planted within several high selenium fields. The crops are allowed to grow naturally in selected fields and are then harvested when appropriate. The crops harvested from the fields are preferably harvested in distinct groups for each field, wherein each of the distinct groups is sampled and tested for their respective selenium contents.

D. Identifying High Selenium Harvested Crops Any and all groups containing high selenium content are diverted for end usage (e.g. further processing, inclusion within a food product) since they contain an acceptable level of selenium. For example, if mustard seed is harvested and a tested group has 4 ppm or greater selenium content, that group of mustard seed would be used to provide a high selenium product as shown in Figure 1. If buckwheat fruit is harvested and a tested group has 0.4 ppm or greater selenium content, that group of buckwheat fruit would be used to provide a high selenium product as shown in Figure 1. The same applies to various other harvested crops.

E. Processing of Low to Medium Selenium Harvested Crops - Milling and Fractionation As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the groups of harvested crops that are not categorized as high selenium content are then divided for applying a selenium enrichment process. One or more groups of low to medium selenium content are processed through a milling process and then fractionated to separate the high selenium material of the seeds from the low selenium material. U.S. Patent No. 6,319,529 illustrates an exemplary fractionation process for achieving higher selenium content and is hereby incorporated by reference. The fractionated material processed through the milling-fractionation process is then tested and characterized regarding the selenium content. If the selenium content is greater than or equal to a desired level (e.g. 0.4 ppm for buckwheat, 4.0 ppm for mustard), then the material is provided as a high selenium product for end usage. The remaining material that does not have the desired selenium content is thereafter discarded or used in another process where selenium content is not required.

F. Processing of Low to Medium Selenium Harvested Crops - Sprouting The remaining group(s) is placed through a sprouting process to increase the selenium content. The low to medium selenium content seeds are converted to sprouts and then harvested utilizing well-known sprouting techniques. The harvested sprouts are then tested and characterized regarding the selenium content. If the selenium content is greater than or equal to a desired level (e.g. 0.4 ppm for buckwheat, 4.0 ppm for mustard), then the material is provided as a high selenium product for end usage. The remaining material that does not have the desired selenium content is thereafter discarded or used in another process where selenium content is not required. It is, preferable to apply the sprouting process to crops having medium to high levels of selenium (e.g. 0.2 - 0.3999 ppm for buckwheat and 2 - 3.999 ppm for mustard). The applicant has discovered that seeds containing higher concentrations of selenium will typically produce sprouts with higher concentrations of selenium. In one study, the applicant sprouted a first group of buckwheat seed having an average selenium content of 0.26 ppm. The harvested sprouts from this first group had an increased average selenium content of 0.509 ppm. The applicant sprouted a second group of buckwheat seed having an average selenium content of 0.368 ppm. The harvested sprouts from this second group had an increased average selenium content of 0.832 ppm. As can be seen, the selenium content increased significantly for both groups, however the selenium content in the second group increased by 0.215 more than the first group indicating that the desirability to sprout seeds having a medium selenium content over crops having a low selenium content.

G. Combining High Selenium Crops and Processed Crops It is desirable and preferred to combine the high selenium harvested crops (described in Section D) with either/both the processed high selenium crops (described in Sections E and F). For example, the high selenium harvested crops identified in Section D above are combined with the high selenium crop material separated through the milling process in Section E above and/or the sprouting process in Section F above. There is no requirement as to the percentages of the high selenium harvested crop with respect to the processed high selenium crops since they all have the desired selenium content level. If combining buckwheat, the harvested buckwheat fruit and the processed buckwheat fruit (milling and/or sprouting) will both have selenium levels greater than or equal to 0.4 ppm. If combining mustard, the harvested mustard seed and the processed mustard seed (milling and/or sprouting) will both have selenium levels greater than or equal to 4.0 ppm. The end product may be utilized in various manners which are well known in the food and supplement industry. What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims (and their equivalents) in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.

Claims

CLAIMS We Claim: L A dietary composition for humans and animals, said composition comprising: a harvested crop having a selenium level of at least about 0.40 ppm; and a processed crop having a selenium level of at least about 0.40 ppm, wherein said processed crop is produced through a selenium enrichment process.

2. The dietary composition of Claim 1, wherein said harvested crop is comprised of buckwheat fruit.

3. The dietary composition of Claim 1, wherein said processed crop is comprised of buckwheat sprouts.

4. The dietary composition of Claim 3, wherein said buckwheat sprouts are grown from buckwheat fruit having a selenium content less than 0.40 ppm.

5. The dietary composition of Claim 3, wherein said buckwheat sprouts are grown from buckwheat fruit havin a selenium content of approximately between 0.20 - 0.3999 ppm.

6. The dietary composition of Claim 1, wherein said processed crop is comprised of fractionated buckwheat fruit.

7. The dietary composition of Claim 1, wherein said processed crop is comprised of a combination of buckwheat sprouts and fractionated buckwheat fruit.

8. The dietary composition of Claim 7, wherein said buckwheat sprouts are grown from buckwheat fruit having a selenium content less than 0.40 ppm.

9. The dietary composition of Claim 7, wherein said buckwheat sprouts are grown from buckwheat fruit having a selenium content of approximately between 0.20 - 0.3999 ppm.

10. The dietary composition of Claim 1 , wherein said harvested crop has a selenium level of at least about 4.0 ppm, and wherein said processed crop has a selenium level of at least about 4.0 ppm.

11. The dietary composition of Claim 10, wherein said harvested crop is comprised of mustard seed.

12. The dietary composition of Claim 10, wherein said processed crop is comprised of mustard sprouts.

13. The dietary composition of Claim 12, wherein said mustard sprouts are grown from mustard seed having a selenium content less than 4.0 ppm.

14. The dietary composition of Claim 12, wherein said mustard sprouts are grown from mustard seed having a selenium content of approximately between 2.0 - 3.999 ppm.

15. The dietary composition of Claim 10, wherein said processed crop is comprised of fractionated mustard seed.

16. The dietary composition of Claim 10, wherein said processed crop is comprised of a combination of mustard sprouts and fractionated mustard seed.

17. The dietary composition of Claim 16, wherein said mustard sprouts are grown from mustard seed having a selenium content less than 4.0 ppm.

18. The dietary composition of Claim 16, wherein said mustard sprouts are grown from mustard seed having a selenium content of approximately between 2.0 - 3.999 ppm.

19. A process for increasing selenium content of buckwheat fruit having less than 0.4 ppm selenium levels, said process comprising: identifying a first group of buckwheat fruit having a selenium content of approximately between 0.2 - 0.3999 ppm; sprouting said first group of buckwheat fruit; and harvesting sprouts produced by said sprouting of said first group of buckwheat fruit.

20. A process for increasing selenium content of mustard seed having less than 4.0 ppm selenium levels, said process comprising: identifying a first group of mustard seed having a selenium content of approximately between 2.0 - 3.999 ppm; sprouting said first group of mustard seed; and harvesting sprouts produced by said sprouting of said first group of mustard seed.

21. A process for producing a selenium product having a selenium level of approximately at least 0.40 ppm, said process comprising: identifying high selenium fields; planting a crop within said high selenium fields; growing said crop to a harvestable state; harvesting said crop; separating a portion of said crop having a high selenium content into a first group; separating a portion of said crop having a medium selenium content into a second group; separating a remaining portion of said crop into a third group; processing said second group through a selenium enrichment process resulting in a processed crop; and separating a portion of said processed crop having said high selenium content into a fourth group.

22. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, including combining said first group and said fourth group to create an end product.

23. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said high selenium content is approximately at least 0.40 ppm.

24. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 23, wherein said crop is comprised of buckwheat.

25. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said high selenium content is approximately at least 4.00 ppm.

26. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 25, wherein said crop is comprised of mustard.

27. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said medium selenium content is approximately between 0.20 - 0.3999 ppm.

28. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 27, wherein said crop is comprised of buckwheat.

29. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said medium selenium content is approximately between 2.00 - 3.999 ppm.

30. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 29, wherein said crop is comprised of mustard.

31. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said selenium enrichment process is comprised of fractionation.

32. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said selenium enrichment process is comprised of sprouting.

33. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said selenium enrichment process is comprised of both fractionation and sprouting.

34. The process for producing a selenium product of Claim 21, wherein said identifying high selenium fields includes testing individual fields for selenium content.