Selenium is an essential
element for human health. The benefits of
selenium are many including protection against
cancer, heart diseases and other cardiovascular and
muscle disorders.
Selenium is also helpful in controlling
gastrointestinal disorders, enhancing immunity of the human body and reducing age-related diseases. The health-promoting properties of Se are due to vital functions of
selenoproteins in which
selenium is present as
selenocysteine, the 21st
amino acid. To date, dozens of
selenoprotein families have been described though many have roles that have not been fully elucidated.
Selenoproteins research has attracted tremendous interest from different scientific areas. Analytical chemists have not remained indifferent to the attractive features of these unique
proteins. Different analytical techniques, such as multidimensional chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), electrospray (tandem) mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), matrix-assisted
laser desorption ionization time-of flight (MALDI-TOF) and
sodium dodecyl sulphate
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-
laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SDS-PAGE-LA-ICPMS), have been applied to the determination of
selenoproteins and
selenium-containing
proteins. This review describes the best-characterized
selenoproteins to date in addition to the major contributions of analytical chemistry to the field of
selenoproteins. The article also highlights the challenges of combining elemental and molecular mass spectrometry for the determination of
selenoproteins and
selenium-containing
proteins.