Abstract
Eighteen male lambs (8–9 months of age, 25.00 ± 0.90 kg body weight) were divided into three groups of six animals in each and fed a total mixed ration (TMR) containing concentrate mixture (30% maize grain, 27% soybean meal, 40% wheat bran, 2% mineral mixture, and 1% common salt) and wheat straw in 65:35 ratio and supplemented with selenium (Se) as sodium selenite at 0 (T1, control), 0.15 (T2), and 0.30 ppm (T3) levels. Experimental feeding was done for a period of 90 days including a 6-day metabolism trial. To assess the growth performance, lambs were weighed every 15 days throughout the experimental period. All the lambs were intramuscularly inoculated with a single dose (2 ml) of haemorrhagic septicaemia oil adjuvant vaccine on 0 day to evaluate the humoral immune response. Blood samples were collected on 0 day and thereafter at 30 days interval. Results revealed that supplementation of Se both at 0.15 and 0.30 ppm levels had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on intake and digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein (CP), ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose; balances of calcium and phosphorus; and level and intake of digestible CP and total digestible nutrients. Se supplementation also had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on the levels of serum total cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and T4/T3 ratio; and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase enzyme activity in the lambs. However, there was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the plasma Se levels, red blood cell glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity, and humoral immune response in both the Se-supplemented groups. Feed (TMR) required per kilogram gain was less by 11.1% and 16.5% in groups T2 and T3, respectively, as compared to control (T1) group. Average daily gain was highest (108.5 g) in group T3, followed by group T2 (98.2 g), and lowest (89.06 g) in the control group (T1). These results indicated that supplementation of 0.15 and 0.3 ppm Se in the diet (having 0.19 ppm Se) of lambs significantly improves their immune response and antioxidant status.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rotruck JT, Pope AL, Ganther HE, Swanson AB, Hafeman DG, Hoekstra WG (1973) Selenium: Biochemical role as a component of glutathione peroxidase. Science 179:588–590
MacPherson A (1994) Selenium, vitamin E and biological oxidation. In: Garnsworthy PC, Cole DJA (eds) Recent advances in nutrition. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, pp 3–30
Awad YL, Ahmed AA, Lotfi AY, Fahmy F (1973) The influence of selenium administration on copper levels and growth of lambs. Zbl Vet Med A 20:742–747
Levander OA, Ager AL, Beck MA (1995) Vitamin E and Se: contrasting and interacting nutritional determinants of host resistance to parasitic and viral infections. Proc Nutr Soc 54:475–487
Sheffy BE, Schultz RD (1979) Influence of vitamin E and Se on immune response mechanism. Fed Proc 38:2139
Beckett GJ, Beddows SE, Morrice PC, Nicol F, Arthur JR (1987) Inhibition of hepatic deiodination of thyroxine is caused by selenium deficiency in rats. Biochem J 248:433–447
Kiremidjian LK, Stotzky G (1987) Selenium and immune responses. Environ Res 42:277–203
NRC (1985) Nutrient requirements of sheep. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
NRC (2001) Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, 7th edn. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
Salt Institute (2005) www.salt.org.in
Shinde PL, Dass RS, Garg AK, Chaturvedi VK (2007) Immune response and plasma alpha tocopherol and selenium status of male buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves supplemented with vitamin E and selenium. Asian-Aust J Anim Sci 20:1539–1545
Mudgal V, Garg AK, Dass RS, Varshney VP (2008) Effect of selenium and copper supplementation on blood metabolic profile in male buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves. Biol Trace Element Res 121:31–38
Kearl LC (1982) Nutrient requirement of ruminants in developing countries. International Feedstuffs Institute, Utah Agriculture Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT USA
Sastry VRB, Kamra DN, Pathak NN (1999) Laboratory manual of animal nutrition. Centre of advanced studies in animal nutrition. Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India, p 125
AOAC (2000) Officials methods of analysis, 16th edn. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC
Robertson JB, Van Soest PJ (1981) The detergent system of analysis and its application to human foods. In: James WPT, Theander O (eds) The analysis of dietary fiber in food, vol. 3. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York
Goering HK, Van Soest PJ (1970) Forage fibre analysis (apparatus, reagents, procedures and some application). ARS U.S. Dept. Agric. Handbook No. 379. Supdt. of Documents. U.S Govt. Printing Office, Washington, DC
Talapatra SK, Ray SN, Sen KC (1940) Estimation of phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in foodstuffs. Indian J Vet Sci Anim Husb 10:243–246
Almeida JD, Atansasiu P, Bradley DW, Gerdner PS, Maynard JE, Schuurs AW, Voller A, Yolken RH (1979) Manual for rapid laboratory viral diagnosis. WHO Publication No. 47, WHO, Geneva
Dumas BT, Watson WA, Briggs HG (1971) Albumin standards and the measurement of serum albumin with bromocresol green. Clin Chem Acta 31:87–96
Lowry OH, Rosenbrough N, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with folin phenol reagents. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Wybenga DR, Pileggi VJ, Dirstine PH, Di Giorgio J (1970) Direct manual determination of serum total cholesterol with a single stable reagent. Clin Chem 16:980–984
Reitman S, Frankel SE (1957) A colorimetric method for the determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase. Am J Clin Pathol 28:56–63
Paglia DE, Valentine WN (1967) Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. J Lab Clin Med 70:158–169
Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1989) Statistical methods, 8th edn. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa
Steel RGD, Torrie JH (1980) Principles and procedures of statistics. A biometrical approach, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill International Book Company, New Delhi, India
Hemken RW, Harmon RJ, Trammell S (1998) Selenium for dairy cattle: a role for organic selenium. In: Lyons TP, Jacques KA (eds) Proc. Alltech’s 14th Annual Symposium. Alltech Technical Publications, Nicholasville, KY, pp 497–503
Ivancic J Jr, Weiss WP (2001) Effect of dietary sulfur and selenium concentrations on selenium balance of lactating Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 84:225–232
Lawler TL, Taylor JB, Finley JW, Caton JS (2004) Effect of supranutritional and organically bound selenium on performance, carcass characteristics and selenium distribution in finishing beef steers. J Anim Sci 82:1488–1493
White CL, Somers M (1977) Sulphur–selenium studies in sheep I. The effect of varying dietary suplhate and selenomethionine on sulphur, nitrogen and selenium metabolism in sheep. Aust J Biol Sci 30:47–56
Fehrs MS, Miller WJ, Gentry RP, Neathery MW, Blackmon DM, Heinmiller SR (1981) Effect of high but non-toxic dietary intake of copper and selenium on metabolism in calves. J Dairy Sci 64:1700–1706
Mahima (2006) Effect of supplementation of different levels and sources of selenium on the performance of guinea pigs. M. V. Sc. Thesis. UPPDDU University of Veterinary Science, Mathura, India
Nicholson JWG, McQueen RE, Bush RS (1991) Response of growing cattle to supplementation with organically bound or inorganic sources of selenium or yeast cultures. Can J Anim Sci 71:803–811
Arthur JR, Morrice PC, Beckett GJ (1988) Thyroid hormone concentrations in selenium deficient and selenium sufficient cattle. Res Vet Sci 45:122–123
Singh R, Randhawa SS, Dhillon KS (2002) Changes in blood biochemical and enzyme profile in experimental chronic selenosis in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves. Indian J Anim Sci 72:230–232
Shashidhar G, Prasad T (1993) Influence of selenite and selenomethionin administration on serum transaminases and hemotology of goats. Indian J Anim Nutr 10:1–6
Wichtel JJ, Craigie AL, Freeman DA, Varela-Alvarez H, Williamson NB (1996) Effect of selenium and iodine supplementation on growth rate and on thyroid and somatotropic function in dairy calves at pasture. J Dairy Sci 79:1865–1872
Scholz RW, Hutchinson LJ (1979) Distribution of glutathione peroxidase activity and selenium in the blood of dairy cows. Am J Vet Res 40:245–249
Droke EA, Loerch SC (1989) Effects of parental selenium and vitamin E on performance, health and humoral immune response of steers new to the feedlot environment. J Anim Sci 67:1350–1359
Nicholson JWG, Bush RS, Allen JG (1993) Antibody response of growing beef cattle fed silage diet with and without selenium supplementation. Can J Anim Sci 73:355–365
Awadeh FT, Kincaid RL, Johnson KA (1998) Effect of level and source of dietary selenium on concentrations of thyroid hormones and immunoglobulins in beef cows and calves. J Anim Sci 76:1204–1215
Larsen HJ, Moksnes K, Overnes G (1988) Influence of selenium on antibody production in sheep. Res Vet Sci 45:4–10
Frank A, Pehrson B, Peterson LR (1986) Concentration of some important elements in the liver of young cattle supplemented with selenite enriched feed. Zentralblatt-fur-veterinarmedizin-A 33:422–425
Wichtel JJ, Craigie AL, Varela-Alvarez H, Williamson NB (1994) The effect of intraruminal selenium pellets on growth rate, lactation and reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle. N Z Vet J 42:205–210
Grace ND, Knowles SO (2002) A reference curve using blood selenium concentration to diagnose selenium deficiency and predict growth responses in lambs. N Z Vet J 50:163–165
Pehrson B, Johnsson S (1985) Selenium and glutathione peroxidase in blood and tissues and growth and feed efficiency in young bulls at different dietary selenium levels. Zentralblatt-fur-veterinarmedizin-A 33:492–501
Acknowledgement
Authors are grateful to Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar for providing the necessary facilities to carry out this research work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kumar, N., Garg, A.K., Mudgal, V. et al. Effect of Different Levels of Selenium Supplementation on Growth Rate, Nutrient Utilization, Blood Metabolic Profile, and Immune Response in Lambs. Biol Trace Elem Res 126 (Suppl 1), 44–56 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8214-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8214-8