Abstract
In this study, the effects of the organic and inorganic form of selenium, in the diet for finishing beef cattle, were investigated. Sell-Plex produced by American firm Alltech as a source of organic selenium with selenium concentration of 2000 mg/kg was used. The source of inorganic selenium was sodium selenite. The trial was conducted on Simmental fattening cattle in the final stage in the free housing system and it lasted 60 days. Selenium content in control and trial group (m. longissimus dorsi) was 78.65 and 125.03 ?g/kg (P<0.01), in kidneys 855.52 and 1026.04 ?g/kg(P <0.001); in liver 453.13 and 534.64 ?g/ kg(P<0.01) and in spleen 308.44 and 383.62 ?g/kg (P<0.001), respectively. There were no differences in main carcass characteristics, share of some tissues in the round and three rib chops, chemical composition and meat quality of m. longissimus dorsi (P>0.05).Considering the higher storage of organic selenium in meat and internal organs of the fattening cattle with respect to the inorganic form, it was concluded that the selenium supply in organic form has a better bioavailability. Inclusion of organic selenium into the diet in the final stage of fattening cattle and its deposition in meat and internal organs is a good and easy way to get meat with functional foods properties that in addition to nutritional value should positively affect human health.
Highlights
The meat enriched with selenium belongs to the so-called functional foods
There were no differences in main carcass characteristics, share of some tissues in the round and three rib chops, chemical composition and meat quality of m. longissimus dorsi (P>0.05).Considering the higher storage of organic selenium in meat and internal organs of the fattening cattle with respect to the inorganic form, it was concluded that the selenium supply in organic form has a better bioavailability
On the basis of the above results it can be said that addition of organic selenium into the diet resulted only in its accumulation in muscle tissue, but it does not affect the changes on its the most important chemical and technological characteristics
Summary
The term “functional food” includes the food stuffs which beside their basic, main nutritive value, contain the essential substances with potential positive effects on body and mental health. This food should consist of functional food nutrients with certain specific properties, they are main part of every day nutrition and exclusively of natural origin, i.e. they cannot consist of tablets, capsules, solutions, powders, etc. Functional food should contain ample functional food stuffs, adequate amounts of food should be consumed, food should be diverse and with uniform presence in nutrition (Sretenović et al, 2009; Sretenović et al, 2007) This concept was introduced in Japan in the eighties of the last century
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