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Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Blood Status and Milk, Urine, and Fecal Excretion in Pregnant and Lactating Camel

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Abstract

Ten pregnant female camels divided into two groups received, after a 2-week adaptation period, an oral selenium (Se) supplementation (0 and 2 mg, respectively) under sodium selenite form for 6 months from the three last months of gestation up to the three first months of lactation. Feed intake was assessed daily. Blood samples and body weight were taken on a biweekly basis, both in dams and their camel calves after parturition. Feces and urine samples were collected monthly and milk on a biweekly basis. The Se concentration in serum increased significantly in the supplemented group and was threefold higher than the concentration compared to the control group, respectively, 305.9 ± 103.3 and 109.3 ± 33.1 ng/mL. The selenium concentration increased in similar proportion in milk (86.4 ± 39.1 ng/mL in the control group vs 167.1 ± 97.3 ng/mL in treated group), in urine, and feces. The gluthathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity varied between 18.1 ± 8.7 IU/g hemoglobin (Hb) in control group and 47.5 ± 25.6 IU/g Hb in treated group but decreased after parturition in both groups. Vitamin E did not change significantly and was, on average, 1.17 ± 0.72 and 1.14 ± 0.89 ng/mL in the control and treated groups, respectively. Significant correlations were reported between serum Se, milk Se, GSH-Px, and fecal and urinary excretion or concentration. Blood values in camel calves were similar to those of the dams. The results seemed to confirm the sensitivity of camel to Se supplementation with an important increase of selenium in serum and milk.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

alanine aminotransferase

AST:

aspartate aminotransferase

CPK:

creatine phosphokinase

DM:

dry matter

E:

eosinophil

UAE:

United Arab Emirates

GGT:

gamma glutamyl transferase

GSH-Px:

glutathione peroxidase

H:

heparin

Hb:

hemoglobin

UI/L:

International Unit per liter

ICP AES:

inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer

L:

lymphocyte

LDH:

lactate dehydrogenase

LW:

live body weight

M:

monocyte

N:

neutrophil

NH:

nonheparin

NRC:

National Research Council

RBC:

red blood cells

Se:

selenium

WBC:

white blood cells

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the partners: to Mr Jumaa Said Hareb who allowed carrying out the analysis at the Al Qattara veterinary laboratory and Al Salamat Experimental Station belonging to the agriculture and animal resources department at Al-ain and to the Camel Research Center of H.H.Sheik Khalifa Ben Zayed Al Nehyan which supported us in carrying out the sample preparation and storage under the best conditions. We thank the French Embassy in Abu Dhabi for the support provided to realize this experiment. We thank Mr Ali Gomaa Al Katby, Dr Jawad Almasri, Dr Tarek Mostafa, Dr Hossam Habib, Eng Omer Elnour, Eng Abdelaziz Awaga, Mr Ramadan El Deeb, and Mr Youssef Hassan for their technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food and Agriculture College, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box n°16641, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Rabiha Seboussi, Mustafa Askar, Khalil Hassan & Ghaleb Alhadrami

  2. Departement Environnement et Sociétés, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Campus International de Baillarguet TA C/Dir B, 34398, Montpellier cedex, France

    Bernard Faye

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  1. Rabiha Seboussi
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  2. Bernard Faye
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  3. Mustafa Askar
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  4. Khalil Hassan
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  5. Ghaleb Alhadrami
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Correspondence to Bernard Faye.

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Seboussi, R., Faye, B., Askar, M. et al. Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Blood Status and Milk, Urine, and Fecal Excretion in Pregnant and Lactating Camel. Biol Trace Elem Res 128, 45–61 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8251-3

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