Selenium deficiency in chicks induced by feeding yeast grown on methanol as a sole dietary protein source.

Abstract

Chicks fed a diet containing the yeast grown on methanol as a sole dietary protein source suffered from exudative diathesis (ED) and pancreas abnormality. Activity of their plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSHpx) was lowered and fragility of their erythrocytes (FE) was increased, indicating that yeast did not contain sufficient amount of either selenium (Se) or vitamin E. Lesions in pancreatic tissues, i.e., necrosis of acinar areas, infiltration of eosino-philic granulocytes, and regeneration of acinar cells were recognized. Se contents in the yeast and in the diet containing the yeast were so low that they could not be detected by fluorescent method with sensitivity limit of 0.01 ppm. Addition of 0.5 ppm of Se to the diet was effective to prevent ED and pancreatic abnormality completely, to recover the activity of GSHpx, and to decrease FE, while addition of vitamin E was only effective to prevent ED and FE com-pletely, but not effective to recover the activity of GSHPS. Addition of sodium taurocholate was not effective to prevent ED, to decrease FE, or to improve fat digestibility, indicating that vitamin E absorption was not severely damaged in the chicks fed the yeast despite histo-pathological change in the pancreas.