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Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that occurs in trace amounts but numerous organic and inorganic forms. Applied in appropriate concentrations, it has numerous positive effects on the living organisms, while exposure to excessive concentrations of Se leads to toxicity and oxidative stress. The amount of Se that is ingested daily through food reflects the presence of the element in soil. Globally, the share of low Se areas is predominant, and consequently, many malnutrition patients also occur. A promising solution to the problem is the biofortification of crops, primarily wheat, one of the main cereals in human nutrition. Crop biofortification improves the quality of food products due to the increase in the concentration of bioavailable Se, and in low Se areas, the most common choice is agronomic biofortification.

Selen (Se) je mikronutrijent koji se u prirodi pojavljuje u tragovima, ali u brojnim organskim i anorganskim oblicima. Primijenjen u odgovarajućim koncentracijama ima brojne pozitivne učinke na organizme, dok izloženost prekomjernim koncentracijama Se vodi ka toksičnosti i oksidacijskom stresu. Količina Se koja se dnevno unosi prehranom odraz je zastupljenosti elementa u tlu. Na svjetskoj razini prevladavajući je udio područja siromašnih Se, stoga se pojavljuje i velik broj oboljelih od malnutricije. Obećavajuće rješenje problema je biofortifikacija usjeva, ponajprije pšenice, jedne od najzastupljnijih žitarica u prehrani ljudi. Biofortifikacija usjeva poboljšava kvalitetu prehrambenih proizvoda uslijed povećanja koncentracije bioraspoloživog Se, a na područjima siromašnim Se najčešći izbor je agronomska biofortifikacija.

During cultivation, wheat is exposed to several abiotic and/or biotic stress conditions that may adversely impact the wheat yield and quality. The impact of abiotic stress caused by nitrogen deficiency and biotic stress caused by phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium culmorum on biomarkers of oxidative stress in the flag leaf of nine winter wheat varieties (Ficko, U-1, Galloper, BC Mandica, BC Opsesija, Ingenio, Isengrain, Felix, and Bezostaya-1) was analyzed in this study. Hydrogen peroxide concentration and lipid peroxidation level were measured as indicators of oxidative stress, while the antioxidant response was determined by measuring the concentration of phenolic compounds and activities of antioxidant enzymes. Wheat variety and nitrogen treatment had a significant effect on all examined biomarkers of oxidative stress in the flag leaf, while the impact of Fusarium treatment was less pronounced. The most significant impact on the measured stress biomarkers had a low nitrogen level, which mainly increased hydrogen peroxide concentration and lipid peroxidation level and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes in most varieties. The obtained results were discussed and compared with the previous study in which biochemical analyzes were performed on the wheat spike. There was no significant strong correlation between flag leaf and spike response in the measured parameters, which, in addition to the variety-specific response, also indicates a tissue-specific antioxidant response.