Transport of feed selenium to different tissues of bulls

Abstract

The effects of different types of Se supplementation on the selenium concentration of beef, bovine internal organs and some other tissues were studied. The animals (thirty-two bulls) were kept in four dietary groups from birth until to the age of 13–14 months, and fed on rations containing either 0.03 mg Se/kg (basic level in local feeds), 0.25 mg inorganic Se supplemented as sodium selenite, or 0.25 or 0.4 mg/kg plant Se in dry matter from feed produced by spraying with sodium selenite. Samples of four muscles and ten other tissues and organs were taken at slaughter. Se was determined by an electrothermal atomic absorption method. Se supplementation significantly increased the Se concentration of all tissue samples. The maximum response was caused by the diet containing 0.40 mg/kg plant Se. In muscles, this diet raised the Se concentration by a factor of 10–12. In other samples, the increment was 1.5–7.5 fold, depending on the type of tissue. In general, plant Se raised the Se level more effectively than inorganic Se. Se supplementation did not affect the vitamin E status of muscle tissue.