Determination of selenium in different types of bee products by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Bee products, natural substances with medicinal and dietary properties, have garnered significant attention due to their rich trace element content and distinct nutritional and medicinal values. Selenium is a vital component of several essential enzymes and plays a crucial role in maintaining human health. However, the low concentration of selenium in biological samples and its tendency to be lost present significant analytical challenges. In this study, we optimized the sample pretreatment process based on the compositional characteristics of bee products to establish an analytical method for precise selenium content determination. The results revealed that microwave digestion significantly enhanced selenium extraction efficiency in bee pollen, which is characterized by high protein and fiber content. For royal jelly, characterized by high protein and fat content, wet digestion was employed to ensure component stability. Honey samples were processed using dry ashing, a simple procedure that efficiently decomposes the sample. Validation results indicated that the recovery rate of selenium ranged from 93–106%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.80–4.90%, demonstrating good accuracy and precision of the method.