Comparative Effect of Selenium in Wheat,Barley, Fish Meal and Sodium Selenite for Prevention of Exudative Diathesis in Chicks

Groups af White Leghorn chicks obtained from dams deprived on selenium (Se), were fed from hatching a low-Se-vitamin E basal diet alone, or supplemented with 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 or 0.08 mg Se/kg diet, as sodium selenite (Na2SeO3 · 5H2O), wheat, barley or fish meal. Prevention of the Se-vitamin E deficiency responsive disease exudative diathesis (ED) as it was clinical observed, induction of the plasma Se dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and Se concentration in the cardiac muscle were observed to be dietary Se level and source dependent. Slope ratio assay was applied to estimate the biological availability of Se in the natural sources relative to Se in sodium selenite. For the prevention of ED, the bioavailability of Se in wheat, barley and fish meal was 99, 85 and 80 %, respectively. The increase in the plasma GSH-Px activity revealed a bioavailability for Se in wheat, barley and fish meal of 79, 71 and 66 %, respectively. Using retention of Se in the cardiac muscle as the bioassay, a bioavailability of 108, 87 and 100 % was calculated for wheat, barley and fish meal Se, respectively.