OHIO Open Library (Ohio University)

This study is evaluating community-based organizations opinions on how to define success with community outreach programs

Yuhas, Lauren

Assessing Success in Community-based Programs; Community impact

This project will examine the dehumanizing aspects of the execution process in Ohio

Buschle, Kathryn

English

Death Watch in Ohio: Dehumanization on Death\u27s Door

This project utilizes survey research to discover if Anthony Downs\u27 theory of the rational voter remain true when voters are exposed to the various emotional appeals used in campaign advertisements

Farmer, Reagan

The Irrational Voter: The Rationality of the Electorate When Confronted with Emotional Appeals in Political Campaign Advertisements

This thesis utilizes mass communication theories to thematically analyze news articles and compare how the Indigenous press and mainstream press cover Indigenous women who testify before the United States Congress

Orcutt, Taylor

Undetermined

Press coverage of congressional testimonies by Indigenous women: A thematic analysis

This research project aims to extract selenomethionine from various food products and examine the effect of food processing on the selenium content, as it is an essential micronutrient in the human diet

Peter, Julia

Phase 2: Hydrolysis
• Acidic, aerobic, and anaerobic hydrolysis were tested on a stock SeMet solution to 
determine the best procedure.
• The enzymes pepsin, pronase, aminopeptidase, and prolidase were used, and the
enzymatic solution(s) were incubated at 37°C.
• Anaerobic hydrolysis resulted in the best and most consistent retention of SeMet 
content (Figure 1).
Phase 4: Electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-
MS ESI)
• Elution fractions from SPE were evaporated and rehydrated in deionized water.
• The LC-MS ESI ran using customized parameters and programming (Table 2).
• SeMet peaks in graphs were originally too small, so injection volume was increased.
• Chromatographs were noisy due to food sample interferents; LC-MS machine was 
matrix calibrated and samples diluted with water.
• Amount of SeMet was determined from chromatographs (Figure 5).
INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What is the SeMet content of food products?
2. How does food processing affect the SeMet content of those foods?
3. How are these changes in SeMet content significant for human health?
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
DEVELOPMENT OF METHODOLOGY
Analysis of the Selenomethionine Content of Food and 
Effect of Food Processing
Julia Peter1, Sophie Zeiler2, Michael Hellwig2
1 Translational Health: Applied Nutrition, Honors Tutorial College, Ohio University, Athens, OH
2 Department of Special Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
REFERENCES
1. Han, M., & Liu, K. (2022). Selenium and selenoproteins: Their function and development of selenium-rich foods. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57(11), 7026–7037. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.16096
2. Bodnar, M., Szczyglowska, M., Konieczka, P., & Namiesnik, J. (2016). Methods of selenium supplementation: Bioavailability and determination of selenium compounds. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56(1), 36–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.709550
3. Yasin, M., El Mehdawi, A. F., Jahn, C. E., Anwar, A., Turner, M. F. S., Faisal, M., & Pilon-Smits, E. A. H. (2015). Seleniferous soils as a source for production of selenium-enriched foods and potential of bacteria to enhance plant selenium uptake. Plant and Soil, 386(1), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2270-y
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2024). USDA food and nutrient database for dietary studies 2021-2023 [Dataset]. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
5. European Food Safety Authority. (2013). Food composition database for nutrient intake: Selected vitamins and minerals in selected European countries [Dataset]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.438313
6. Method from CHROMABOND cartridge company, optimized for HR-XC cartridges
7. Stoffaneller, R., & Morse, N. L. (2015). A review of dietary selenium intake and selenium status in Europe and the Middle East. Nutrients, 7(3), 1494–1537. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7031494
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank the Technical University of Dresden, particularly my supervisor Sophie Zeiler, for hosting me as an intern during the summer of 2024; DAAD RISE Germany for offering and coordinating my internship position; and Ohio University for funding my internship.
• Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in the human diet for antioxidant function, immunity, organ 
function, and prevention of Keshan and Kashin-Beck disease, among other important functions.1
• Se is best absorbed when in an organic form, like the selenoprotein selenomethionine (SeMet).2 
• SeMet is an analog of the amino acid methionine (Met). In SeMet, the sulfur atom of Met is replaced with a 
Se atom.
• Plants incorporate organic Se by up-taking Se from the soil. Therefore, the Se content of food varies widely 
throughout the world due to differing levels of Se in that area’s soil.3
• Food processing often impacts the micronutrient composition of foods. This is likely the case for Se content 
as well, but there is little research regarding the specifics of the effect of food processing on Se content.
SIGNIFICANCE
• Understanding quantities of SeMet in foods will inform food-based recommendations and food 
processing guidelines.
• Crops in Europe contain less Se due to soil composition,7 and this data may advise fortification 
processes. 
• Chicken, shrimp, soybean, egg, brazil nut, green pea, red lentil were blended and prepared for testing. 
• Both raw/cooked egg and raw/roasted soybean was tested.
• SeMet was only detected in some of the food samples (Figure 6).**
• Percentage of Se as SeMet in food was calculated based on chromatographic data (Table 3).
• Analysis of chromatographs for raw and cooked egg showed degeneration of SeMet (Figure 7), 
whereas analysis of raw and roasted soybean indicated no difference in SeMet content (Figure 8).
• Further development of methods is needed.
   
    
    
    
    
     
                                  
  
  
  
  
  
                                             
                                       
     
   
    
    
    
    
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
                                               
                                                
              
                              
   
    
    
    
    
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
                                  
                         
                               
               
                       
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                  
    
 
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
                  
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
           
                                            
                    
                              
                               
Phase 1: Food processing
• Foods that contain a significant level of selenium were selected for processing.4-5
• Food samples, when appropriate, underwent pulverizing, blending, cooking, defatting 
with hexane, and freeze-drying to ensure suitability for further chemical processing.
Phase 3: Solid phase extraction (SPE)
• Six SPE procedures (Figure 2) were attempted on stock SeMet solution, and each 
wash and elution step was tested for SeMet. 
• The HR-XC method6 (Table 1)* was found to be the best-suited (Figure 3).
• Red lentil samples were spiked with SeMet and the HR-XC SPE procedure was 
retested. The percentage of successfully eluted SeMet decreased (Figure 4), so the 
elution step was modified (Table 1). 
*The original procedure used a one-time 5mL addition of the elution solution.**Due to large margins of error, these results may be incorrect.


Ohio University Southern

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Assessing Success in Community-based Programs; Community impact

Death Watch in Ohio: Dehumanization on Death\u27s Door

The Irrational Voter: The Rationality of the Electorate When Confronted with Emotional Appeals in Political Campaign Advertisements

Press coverage of congressional testimonies by Indigenous women: A thematic analysis

Analysis of the Selenomethionine Content of Food and Effect of Food Processing

Program Review Report 9-2-25

ICC Agenda 10-7-25

Ohio University Faculty Senate Agenda November 3, 2025

Ohio University Faculty Senate Agenda December 1, 2025

ICC Agenda 11-18-25

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