Investigating the impact of wet rendering (solventless method) on PUFA-rich oil from catfish (Clarias magur) viscera.

Catfish (Clarias magur) is a popular freshwater fish food worldwide. The processing of this fish generates a significant amount of waste, mainly in the form of viscera, which constitutes around 10-12% of the fish's total weight. This study was focused on extracting polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich oil from catfish viscera, aiming to enhance the extraction process and make the production of oil and handling of fish byproducts more cost-effective. The wet reduction method, a solvent-free approach, was used for extraction, with yield optimization done via the Box-Behnken design. The resulting oil was evaluated for its oxidative quality and chemical characteristics. The optimal conditions for the wet rendering process were as follows: viscera to water ratio, 1:0.5 (w/v); temperature, 90℃; and time, 20 min, yielding 12.40 g/100 g of oil. The oil extracted under optimal wet rendering conditions had quality and oxidative stability comparable to solvent extraction and fewer secondary oxidation compounds. This oil had a higher PUFA content, specifically a 4:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. Such oil, derived from catfish viscera, is suitable for the food industry due to its solvent-free extraction method.

The Promising Role of Selenium and Yeast in the Fight Against Protein Amyloidosis.

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to research on diseases related to the deposition of misfolded proteins (amyloids) in various organs. Moreover, modern scientists emphasise the importance of selenium as a bioelement necessary for the proper functioning of living organisms. The inorganic form of selenium-sodium selenite (redox-active)-can prevent the formation of an insoluble polymer in proteins. It is very important to undertake tasks aimed at understanding the mechanisms of action of this element in inhibiting the formation of various types of amyloid. Furthermore, yeast cells play an important role in this matter as a eukaryotic model organism, which is intensively used in molecular research on protein amyloidosis. Due to the lack of appropriate treatment in the general population, the problem of amyloidosis remains unsolved. This extracellular accumulation of amyloid is one of the main factors responsible for the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease. The review presented here contains scientific information discussing a brief description of the possibility of amyloid formation in cells and the use of selenium as a factor preventing the formation of these protein aggregates. Recent studies have shown that the yeast model can be successfully used as a eukaryotic organism in biotechnological research aimed at understanding the essence of the entire amyloidosis process. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the reaction of yeast to selenium and the phenomenon of amyloidosis is important in the aetiology and pathogenesis of various disease states. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct further research and analysis aimed at explaining and confirming the role of selenium in the processes of protein misfolding disorders. The rest of the article discusses the characteristics of food protein amyloidosis and their use in the food industry. During such tests, their toxicity is checked because not all food proteins can produce amyloid that is toxic to cells. It should also be noted that a moderate diet is beneficial for the corresponding disease relief caused by amyloidosis.

Biotechnological potential of red yeast isolated from birch forests in Poland.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to isolate red yeast from sap, bark and slime exudates collected from Polish birch forests and then assessment of their biotechnological potential. RESULTS: 24 strains of red yeast were isolated from the bark, sap and spring slime fluxes of birch (Betula pendula). Strains belonging to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (6), Rhodosporidiobolus colostri (4), Cystrofilobasidium capitaum (3), Phaffia rhodozyma (3) and Cystobasidium psychroaquaticum (3) were dominant. The highest efficiency of carotenoid biosynthesis (5.04 mg L-1) was obtained by R. mucilaginosa CMIFS 004, while lipids were most efficiently produced by two strains of P. rhodozyma (5.40 and 5.33 g L-1). The highest amount of exopolysaccharides (3.75 g L-1) was produced by the R. glutinis CMIFS 103. Eleven strains showed lipolytic activity, nine amylolytic activity, and only two proteolytic activity. The presence of biosurfactants was not found. The growth of most species of pathogenic moulds was best inhibited by Rhodotorula yeasts. CONCLUSION: Silver birch is a good natural source for the isolation of new strains of red yeast with wide biotechnological potential.

Dynamic changes of serum trace elements following cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgeries are known to induce an inflammatory response. Besides, dietary factors such as trace elements contribute to promoting cardiovascular health by maintaining oxidative balance. Here we systematically review the literature about alterations in serum concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se) in response to cardiac surgeries. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on databases until the end of December 2022. Studies assessing the changes of mentioned elements in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery were included. Changes in the means and standard deviations of the elements before and after the cardiac surgery were utilized as desired effect sizes. RESULTS: Among 1252 records found in the primary search, 23 and 21 articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis respectively. Seventeen studies evaluated the changes in serum Zn and Cu levels, and fifteen studies assessed Se levels. According to the results of quantitative analysis, Zn, Cu, and Se concentrations, one day after the surgery were significantly lower than preoperative values (WMD for Zn: 4.64 µmol/L [3.57-5.72], WMD for Cu: 1.62 µmol/L [0.52-2.72], and WMD for Se: 0.1 µmol/L [0.03-0.16]). The concentration of trace elements recovered gradually during the first-week post-operation and reached preoperative levels or even higher. CONCLUSION: Serum trace elements dropped significantly soon after the cardiac surgery, but they reached their baseline levels mostly during the first week after the surgery. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the impact of alterations in serum concentration of trace elements on the outcomes and complications of open-heart surgeries.

Influence of solvent-free extraction of fish oil from catfish (Clarias magur) heads using a Taguchi orthogonal array design: A qualitative and quantitative approach.

This study aimed to efficiently utilize catfish heads, enhancing the oil extraction process while improving the cost-effectiveness of fish byproduct management. The study employed the wet rendering method, a solvent-free approach, utilizing a two-factor Taguchi orthogonal array design to identify critical parameters for optimizing oil yield and ensuring high-quality oil attributes. The extraction temperature (80-120°C) and time (5-25 min) were chosen as variables in the wet rendering process. Range analysis identified the extraction time as a more significant (p < 0.05) factor for most parameters, including oil yield, oil recovery, acid value, free fatty acids, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. The extraction temperature was more significant (p < 0.05) for oil color. Consequently, the wet rendering method was optimized, resulting in an extraction temperature of 80°C and an extraction time of 25 min, yielding the highest oil yield. This optimized wet rendering process recovered 6.37 g/100 g of oil with an impressive 54.16% oil recovery rate, demonstrating comparable performance to traditional solvent extraction methods. Moreover, Fourier transfer infrared spectra analysis revealed distinct peaks associated with triacylglycerols and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The oil recovered under optimized conditions contained higher levels of PUFA, including oleic acid (189.92 µg/g of oil), linoleic acid (169.92 µg/g of oil), eicosapentaenoic acid (17.41 µg/g of oil), and docosahexaenoic acid (20.82 µg/g of oil). Volatile compound analysis revealed lower levels of secondary oxidation compounds under optimized conditions. This optimized wet rendering method offers practical advantages in terms of cost-efficiency, sustainability, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced oil quality, making it an attractive option for the fish processing industries. Future research possibilities may include the purification of the catfish head oil and its application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Exposure to pesticide residues in honey and its potential cancer risk assessment.

Honey is the most recognized natural food by-product derived from flower nectar and the upper aero-digestive tract of the honeybees. Significance of honey for its medicinal importance are well-documented in the world's oldest medical literatures. However, the current urbanization, environmental contaminations and changes in agricultural, as well as apiculture practices has led to various types of contaminations in honey. Among all, pesticide contamination has become one of the major issues worldwide. This review focuses on the recent updates concerning pesticides occurrence in honey, as well as how the repeated use and long-term exposure to honey contaminated with pesticide residues could affect the human physiological functions, possibly leading to the development of various cancers. Our findings suggests that uncontrolled use of pesticides in farming and apiculture practices leads to the occurrence of pesticides residues in honey. Therefore, regular consumption of such honey will pose a serious threat to human health, since most of the pesticides has been reported as potential carcinogens. This review will draw the attention of honey consumers, scientific communities, apiculture farmers, as well as governing bodies to strictly monitor the pesticide usage in floriculture, agriculture as well as other related practices.

Diversity of Red Yeasts in Various Regions and Environments of Poland and Biotechnological Potential of the Isolated Strains.

Due to the growing demand for natural carotenoids, researchers have been searching for strains that are capable of efficient synthesis of these compounds. This study tested 114 red yeast strains collected from various natural environments and food specimens in Poland. The strains were isolated by their ability to produce red or yellow pigments in rich nutrient media. According to potential industrial significance of the carotenoids, both their total production and share of individual carotenoids (ß-carotene, γ-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin) were analyzed. The total content of carotenoid pigments in the yeast dry matter ranged from 13.88 to 406.50 µg/g, and the percentages of individual carotenoids highly varied among the strains. Most of the yeast isolates synthesized torulene at the highest amount. Among the studied strains, isolates with a total carotenoid content in biomass greater than 200 µg/g and those containing more than 60% torularhodin were selected for identification (48 strains). The identified strains belonged to six genera: Rhodotorula, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Buckleyzyma, Cystofilobasidium, and Erythrobasidium. The largest number of isolates belonged to Rhodotorula babjevae (18), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (7), Sporidiobolus pararoseus (4), and Rhodotorula glutinis (4).

New insights into the anticancer therapeutic potential of maytansine and its derivatives.

Maytansine is a pharmacologically active 19-membered ansamacrolide derived from various medicinal plants and microorganisms. Among the most studied pharmacological activities of maytansine over the past few decades are anticancer and anti-bacterial effects. The anticancer mechanism of action is primarily mediated through interaction with the tubulin thereby inhibiting the assembly of microtubules. This ultimately leads to decreased stability of microtubule dynamics and cause cell cycle arrest, resulting in apoptosis. Despite its potent pharmacological effects, the therapeutic applications of maytansine in clinical medicine are quite limited due to its non-selective cytotoxicity. To overcome these limitations, several derivatives have been designed and developed mostly by modifying the parent structural skeleton of maytansine. These structural derivatives exhibit improved pharmacological activities as compared to maytansine. The present review provides a valuable insight into maytansine and its synthetic derivatives as anticancer agents.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic potential of dietary flavonoids: A review.

Chronic inflammation plays an imperative role in the onset and progression of chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, allergies, and asthma. Diet can modulate different stages of inflammation since it is a rich source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Flavonoids are bioactive compounds abundantly found in various food groups such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, and beverages. Recent work on flavonoids has unveiled their potential to regulate or inhibit inflammation. This is attributed to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and immune-modulatory properties, making flavonoids an invaluable component in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and medicinal applications. However, information related to their anti-inflammatory mechanism is still not well understood. The current review is an attempt to elaborate chemical structure, dietary sources, and anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids against allergic diseases.

Astounding Health Benefits of Jamun (Syzygium cumini) toward Metabolic Syndrome.

Syzygium cumini, also called Jamun, or black plum, is an excellent source of bioactive components such as flavonoids, polyphenols, antioxidants, iron, and vitamin C. The Jamun tree is a tropical evergreen blooming plant and is an important medicinal plant from the Myrtaceae family that has been used for a long time in Indian and other traditional medicines across the world. Jamun is mainly cultivated in Asian countries such as Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Since ancient medicine, it has been utilized to treat a variety of diseases and physiological conditions. Currently, it is mostly used as a medication to treat various metabolic issues, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, etc. Therefore, Jamun could serve a beneficial role against metabolic syndrome (MS). In this work, the latest available scientific literature on Jamun was collected and the clinical trials investigating its effect on diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and hyperlipidemia were analyzed to find out how Jamun could improve the symptoms and biomarkers of MS. Overall, the results of this study found a significant association of Jamun with the prevention and treatment of these biomarkers of MS. In many studies, Jamun showed pharmacological modifications not only in MS but in many other diseases as well. Currently, its utilization as a folk medicine for the treatment of patients with MS is widely acknowledged. Hence, the findings of a large number of clinical studies confirmed the ameliorating effects of Jamun against MS due to its antioxidation, antidiabetic, anti-inflammation anticarcinogenic, and hyperlipidemic effects. More research is still needed to determine and identify the Jamun compounds and to elucidate their mechanisms of action that are responsible for these astounding bioactive properties and health benefits.

Effect of selenium and methods of protein extraction on the proteomic profile of Saccharomyces yeast.

Selenium may influence the biosynthesis of individual proteins in the yeast cell cytosol. In this study, we used two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis to identify proteins that are differentially expressed by the enrichment of selenium in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells. We chose eight protein fractions for further proteomic analysis. A detailed analysis was performed using the Ultraflextreme matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometer, which enables fast and accurate measurement of the molecular weight of the analysed proteins. This study, for the first time, provides evidence that selenium-enriched yeast contains higher levels of mitochondria malate dehydrogenase, adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent RNA helicase dbp3, and tryptophan dimethylallyltransferase, and alanyl-tRNA editing protein AlaX than yeast without the addition of selenium. It should be emphasised that the proteomic variability obtained reflects the high biological and complexity of yeast metabolism under control and selenium-enriched conditions and can be properly used in the future as a model for further research aimed at determining the expression of appropriate metabolic genes.

Delving the Role of Caralluma fimbriata: An Edible Wild Plant to Mitigate the Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MS), commonly known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes. MS is believed to impact over a billion individuals worldwide. It is a medical condition defined by visceral obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels, according to the World Health Organization. The current dietary trends are more focused on the use of functional foods and nutraceuticals that are well known for their preventive and curative role against such pathological disorders. Caralluma fimbriata is one such medicinal plant that is gaining popularity. It is a wild, edible, succulent roadside shrub with cactus-like leaves. Besides its main nutrient contents, various bioactive constituents have been identified and linked with positive health outcomes of appetite-suppressing, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anticancer potentials. Hence, such properties make C. fimbriata an invaluable plant against MS. The current review compiles recent available literature on C. fimbriata's nutritional composition, safety parameters, and therapeutic potential for MS. Summarized data in this review reveals that C. fimbriata remains a neglected plant with limited food and therapeutic applications. Yet various studies explored here do prove its positive health-ameliorating outcomes.

A review on cullin neddylation and strategies to identify its inhibitors for cancer therapy.

The cullin-RING E3 ligases (CRLs) are the biggest components of the E3 ubiquitin ligase protein family, and they represent an essential role in various diseases that occur because of abnormal activation, particularly in tumors development. Regulation of CRLs needs neddylation, a post-translational modification involving an enzymatic cascade that transfers small, ubiquitin-like NEDD8 protein to CRLs. Many previous studies have confirmed neddylation as an enticing target for anticancer drug discoveries, and few recent studies have also found a significant increase in advancement in protein neddylation, including preclinical and clinical target validation to discover the neddylation inhibitor compound. In the present review, we first presented briefly the essence of CRLs' neddylation and its control, systematic analysis of CRLs, followed by the description of a few recorded chemical inhibitors of CRLs neddylation enzymes with recent examples of preclinical and clinical targets. We have also listed various structure-based pointing of protein-protein dealings in the CRLs' neddylation reaction, and last, the methods available to discover new inhibitors of neddylation are elaborated. This review will offer a concentrated, up-to-date, and detailed description of the discovery of neddylation inhibitors.

Uncovering the Industrial Potentials of Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Food Preservative: A Review.

The food industry is growing vastly, with an increasing number of food products and the demand of consumers to have safe and pathogen-free food with an extended shelf life for consumption. It is critical to have food safe from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and unpleasant odors or tastes so that the food may not cause any health risks to consumers. Currently, the direction of food industry has been shifting from synthetically produced preservatives to natural preservatives to lower the unnecessary chemical burden on health. Many new technologies are working on natural prevention tools against food degradation. Lemongrass is one such natural preservative that possesses significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oil of lemongrass contains a series of terpenes that are responsible for these activities. These properties make lemongrass acceptable in the food industry and may fulfill consumer demands. This article provides detailed information about the role of lemongrass and its essential oil in food preservation. The outcomes of the research on lemongrass offer room for its new technological applications in food preservation.

An Intricate Review on Nutritional and Analytical Profiling of Coconut, Flaxseed, Olive, and Sunflower Oil Blends.

Vegetable oils (VOs), being our major dietary fat source, play a vital role in nourishment. Different VOs have highly contrasting fatty acid (FA) profiles and hence possess varying levels of health protectiveness. Consumption of a single VO cannot meet the recommended allowances of various FA either from saturated FA (SFA), monounsaturated FA (MUFA), polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), Ω-3 PUFAs, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Coconut oil (CO), flaxseed oil (FO), olive oil (OO), and sunflower oil (SFO) are among the top listed contrast VOs that are highly appreciated based on their rich contents of SFAs, Ω-3 PUFAs, MUFAs, and Ω-6 PUFA, respectively. Besides being protective against various disease biomarkers, these contrasting VOs are still inappropriate when consumed alone in 100% of daily fat recommendations. This review compiles the available data on blending of such contrasting VOs into single tailored blended oil (BO) with suitable FA composition to meet the recommended levels of SFA, MUFA, PUFA, MCTs, and Ω-3 to Ω-6 PUFA ratios which could ultimately serve as a cost-effective dietary intervention towards the health protectiveness and improvement of the whole population in general. The blending of any two or more VOs from CO, FO, OO, and SFO in the form of binary, ternary, or another type of blending was found to be very conclusive towards balancing FA composition; enhancing physiochemical and stability properties; and promising the therapeutic protectiveness of the resultant BOs.

DT389-YP7, a Recombinant Immunotoxin against Glypican-3 That Inhibits Hepatocellular Cancer Cells: An In Vitro Study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the high-metastatic types of cancer, and metastasis occurs in one-third of patients with HCC. To maintain the effectiveness of drug compounds on cancer cells and minimize their side effects on normal cells, it is important to use new approaches for overcoming malignancies. Immunotoxins (ITs), an example of such a new approach, are protein-structured compounds consisting of toxic and binding moieties which can specifically bind to cancer cells and efficiently induce cell death. Here, we design and scrutinize a novel immunotoxin against an oncofetal marker on HCC cells. We applied a truncated diphtheria toxin (DT389) without binding domain as a toxin moiety to be fused with a humanized YP7 scFv against a high-expressed Glypican-3 (GPC3) antigen on the surface of HCC cells. Cytotoxic effects of this IT were investigated on HepG2 (GPC3+) and SkBr3 (GPC3-) cell lines as positive- and negative-expressed GPC3 antigens. The dissociation constant (Kd) was calculated 11.39 nM and 18.02 nM for IT and YP7 scfv, respectively, whereas only IT showed toxic effects on the HepG2 cell line, and decreased cell viability (IC50 = 848.2 ng/mL). Changing morphology (up to 85%), cell cycle arrest at G2 phase (up to 13%), increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROSs) (up to 50%), inducing apoptosis (up to 38% for apoptosis and 23% for necrosis), and an almost complete inhibition of cell movement were other effects of immunotoxin treatment on HepG2 cells, not on SkBr3 cell line. These promising results reveal that this new recombinant immunotoxin can be considered as an option as an HCC inhibitor. However, more extensive studies are needed to accomplish this concept.

Engineering of Cytolethal Distending Toxin B by Its Reducing Immunogenicity and Maintaining Stability as a New Drug Candidate for Tumor Therapy; an In Silico Study.

The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), Haemophilus ducreyi, is one of the bacterial toxins that have recently been considered for targeted therapies, especially in cancer therapies. CDT is an A-B2 exotoxin. Its catalytic subunit (CdtB) is capable of inducing DNA double strand breaks, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in host eukaryotic cells. The sequence alignment indicates that the CdtB is structurally homologyr to phosphatases and deoxyribonucleases I (DNase I). Recently, it has been found that CdtB toxicity is mainly related to its nuclease activity. The immunogenicity of CDT can reduce its effectiveness in targeted therapies. However, the toxin can be very useful if its immunogenicity is significantly reduced. Detecting hotspot ectopic residues by computational servers and then mutating them to eliminate B-cell epitopes is a promising approach to reduce the immunogenicity of foreign protein-based therapeutics. By the mentioned method, in this study, we try to reduce the immunogenicity of the CdtB- protein sequence. This study initially screened residue of the CdtB is B-cell epitopes both linearly and conformationally. By overlapping the B-cell epitopes with the excluded conserve residues, and active and enzymatic sites, four residues were allowed to be mutated. There were two mutein options that show reduced antigenicity probability. Option one was N19F, G74I, and S161F with a VaxiJen score of 0.45 and the immune epitope database (IEDB) score of 1.80, and option two was N19F, G74I, and S161W with a VaxiJen score of 0.45 and IEDB score of 1.88. The 3D structure of the proposed sequences was evaluated and refined. The structural stability of native and mutant proteins was accessed through molecular dynamic simulation. The results showed that the mutations in the mutants caused no considerable changes in their structural stability. However, mutant 1 reveals more thermodynamic stability during the simulation. The applied approaches in this study can be used as rough guidelines for finding hot spot immunogen regions in the therapeutic proteins. Our results provide a new version of CdtB that, due to reduced immunogenicity and increased stability, can be used in toxin-based drugs such as immunotoxins.

An overview of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) bioactive peptides' derivation and utilization as an emerging nutraceutical food.

Chia (S. hispanica L.) is an annual herbaceous plant that has gained popularity for its seeds of high-quality vegetative proteins, richest contents of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω-3 PUFA), soluble dietary fiber, and great gelling ability, as well as its high contents of bioactive peptides of antioxidative and nutraceutical potential for many other clinical biomarkers. Such health protective bioactive peptides should be utilized for supplementation in the food and nutrition industries. This review was therefore designed to align the researches done on chia bioactive peptide's derivation, processing, consumption and to identify their antioxidative and nutraceutical potential for various disease biomarkers. The evidence gathered is fairly compelling for the health-promising nutraceutical and clinical potential of chia seed bioactive peptides as antioxidants, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors (DPP4), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their assimilation into everyday diets has the potential to open new doors in health departments and food sectors.

Biological Activity of Some Aromatic Plants and Their Metabolites, with an Emphasis on Health-Promoting Properties.

The biological activities of four aromatic plants, namely frankincense, myrrh, ginger, and turmeric, were reviewed in the current study. The volatile fraction (essential oil) as well as the nonvolatile fraction of these four plants showed different promising biological activities that are displayed in detail. These activities can include protection from and/or alleviation of some ailment, which is supported with different proposed mechanisms of action. This review aimed to finally help researchers to get a handle on the importance of considering these selected aromatic plants, which have not been thoroughly reviewed before, as a potential adjuvant to classical synthetic drugs to enhance their efficiency. Moreover, the results elicited in this review encourage the consumption of these medicinal plants as an integrated part of the diet to boost the body's overall health based on scientific evidence.

Selenium supplementation in the prevention of coronavirus infections (COVID-19).

Selenium (Se) is a ubiquitous element akin to sulfur (S) existing in the Earth crust in various organic and inorganic forms. Selenium concentration varies greatly depending on the geographic area. Consequently, the content of selenium in food products is also variable. It is known that low Se is associated with increased incidence of cancer and heart diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to supplement diet with this element albeit in a proper form. Although blood increased concentrations of Se can be achieved with various pharmacological preparations, only one chemical form (sodium selenite) can offer a true protection. Sodium selenite, but not selenate, can oxidize thiol groups in the virus protein disulfide isomerase rendering it unable to penetrate the healthy cell membrane. In this way selenite inhibits the entrance of viruses into the healthy cells and abolish their infectivity. Therefore, this simple chemical compound can potentially be used in the recent battle against coronavirus epidemic.