Nutritional supplements containing methylselenocysteine
First Claim
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1. A method of producing an edible plant whose edible portions comprise significant concentrations of Se-methylselenocysteine or selenium, comprising:
- identifying a growth environment containing selenite;
providing a crop plant characterized by an ability to accumulate Se-methylselenocysteine in its edible portions;
cultivating the plant in the growth environment under conditions and for a time sufficient for the plant to accumulate a significant amount of Se-methylselenocysteine or selenium in its edible portions; and
harvesting edible portions of the plant which comprise accumulated selenium.
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Abstract
A method of producing metal-rich plants for the production of nutritional supplements. Edible plants are placed in a growth environment containing metal, and are cultivated in a fashion which enhances the uptake of metal into edible portions of the plants. The plants are then harvested, and may be eaten directly or processed into capsule or tablet form, in order to obtain the metallic nutrients so incorporated.
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21 Claims
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1. A method of producing an edible plant whose edible portions comprise significant
concentrations of Se-methylselenocysteine or selenium, comprising: -
identifying a growth environment containing selenite;
providing a crop plant characterized by an ability to accumulate Se-methylselenocysteine in its edible portions;
cultivating the plant in the growth environment under conditions and for a time sufficient for the plant to accumulate a significant amount of Se-methylselenocysteine or selenium in its edible portions; and
harvesting edible portions of the plant which comprise accumulated selenium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An isolated, edible plant which has been genetically engineered to accumulate more selenium in its edible portions than it would in nature.
- 12. An isolated, edible plant that has been induced, through exposure to an inducing agent, to contain methylselenocystene or selenium in its edible portions.
- 16. A nutritional supplement comprising the edible portions of a plant which has been induced to hyperaccumulate selenium in its edible portions, and which has been incorporated into any of a processed food, a capsule, a tablet, a powder, a gel, and a liquid.
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21-48. -48. (canceled)
Specification