ABSTRACT
Fusarium head blight of wheat caused by Fusarium graminearum not only hinders grain development, but it leads to significant reduction in yield, and also produces trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone, which are a serious concern for human and animal health. Selenium (Se) is essential for human and animals, and can be beneficial for plants. This chapter explains the effect of Se on F. graminearum growth and its DON production under in vitro conditions. Reducing DON accumulation produced by F. graminearum is critically important to ensure the safe production of wheat. Se can inhibit the growth of F. graminearum and significantly reduce DON accumulation, but its effects varied with Se chemotypes. People are trying to understand the mechanism by which Se negatively regulates the growth and production of DON, which would be helpful for preventing and controlling the disease and reducing DON contamination, and for producing Se-fortified functional foods.
