Selenium Content in Blood Fractions and Liver of Beef Heifers Is Greater with a Mix of Inorganic/Organic or Organic Versus Inorganic Supplemental Selenium but the Time Required for Maximal Assimilation Is Tissue-Specific

Abstract

Selenium (Se) content of feedstuffs is dependent on the Se level of the soil. Even though Se in grass and forage crops is primarily present in organic forms, Se is commonly supplemented in cattle diets in an inorganic (sodium selenite) form in geographic regions where Se soil concentrations are low. The purpose of this study was to answer two important questions about inorganic (ISe) vs organic (OSe) forms of dietary supplementation of Se (3mg/day) to growing beef heifers (0.5kg/day): (1) what would the effect of supplementing Se with an equal blend of ISe:OSe (Mix) have on Se tissue concentrations and (2) how long does it take for the greater assimilation with OSE to occur and stabilize? A long-term (224day) Se dietary supplementation trial was conducted with serial sampling performed (days28, 56, 112, and 224) to determine the length of time required to achieve Se supplement (OSE, Mix, and ISe)-dependent changes in Se assimilation in blood fractions and liver tissue. Forty maturing Angus heifers were fed a corn silage-based diet for 98days with no Se supplementation, and then a cracked corn/cottonseed hull-based diet (basal diet) without Se supplementation for 74days. Liver biopsies were taken for Se analysis, and heifers were fed the same diet for another 14days. Heifers were assigned (n = 10) to one of four Se treatment groups such that basal liver Se contents were stratified among groups, and then fed enough of the basal diet (0.08mg Se per day) and a mineral-vitamin mix that provided 0.16 (control) or 3.0mg Se per day in ISe (sodium selenite), OSe (Sel-Plex(®)), or Mix (1:1 ISe:OSe) form to support 0.5kg/day growth for 224days. More Se was found in whole blood, red blood cells, serum, and liver of Mix and OSe heifers than ISe heifers, and all were greater than control. Se content either increased until day56 then was stable (liver and plasma), or was stable until day56 (whole blood) or day112 (red blood cells) and then increased steadily through day224, for all supplemental Se treatments. These data indicate that a 1:1 mix (1.5mg Se:1.5mg Se) of supplemental ISe and OSe is equal to 3mg/day OSe supplementation and greater than 3mg/day ISe supplementation. The data also indicate that Se levels stabilized in liver and plasma by 56 to 112days whereas whole blood and red blood cell concentrations were still increasing through 224days of supplementation, regardless of the form of supplemental Se.