Hair concentration of selenium in European bison in relation to sex and age, with regard to liver and kidney Se levels

Abstract

The average selenium levels measured in the analyzed European bison individuals (N = 22) were as follows: 0.137±0.041SD μg/g dry weight (DW), 0.175±0.032 and 1.004±0.239 μg/g wet weight (WW) in hair, liver and kidneys, respectively. Broken down by sex, the average hair selenium concentration was 0.140±0.046 and 0.134±0.037 μg/g DW in males and females, respectively. No significant differences in hair selenium content were found in relation to sex. As far as age is concerned, hair selenium content was 0.142±0.042 in calves; in the group of bison over 2 years of age, however, lower levels of selenium (0.126±0.040 μg/g DW) were recorded. There were no significant differences between the age groups in terms of selenium content. Based on our research and current literature data, we could presume selenium deficiency in the studied animals.