Effect of selenium supplementation in broiler diets on breast meat deposition

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the deposition of selenium in the breast muscle of broilers fed different selenium sources during different periods. Two experiments were carried out with broilers fed 45% sodium selenite (SS) or 2% hydroxy-selenomethionine (HSM) to determine the selenium deposition rate in the muscle tissue. In Experiment 1, 48 broilers were distributed in a completely randomized design with six treatments with eight replicates each, consisting of diets containing 0 Se (0), 200 or 400 μgSS/kg (200 SS, 400 SS), or 100, 200, or 300 μgHSM/kg (100 HSM, 200 HSM, 300 HSM) for 10 days. The highest Se breast content was obtained with 300 HSM diet, followed by 200 SS diet compared to the other treatments. Experiment 2 had a completely randomized design following a plot scheme subdivided in time, and consisted of a basal diet supplemented with 300 μg SS/kg (300 SS), basal diet with 200 μg HSM/kg (200 HSM) or basal diet supplemented with 100 μgSS/kg and 100 μgHSM/kg (100 SS+100 HSM). Dietary Se sources did not influence Se breast content measured on days 3 and 6. However, on days 9 and 12, higher Se breast contents were measured in broilers fed 200 HSM and 100 SS+100 HSM diets compared with those fed 300 SS diet. In conclusion, the supplementation of broiler diets with HSM at 2% for a short period is more efficient to increase selenium deposition in the breast muscle than sodium selenite.