Abstract
There is a growing concern for the long-term health effects of selenium (Se) over- or underfeeding. The efficiency of utilization of dietary Se is subject to many factors. Our study in dogs evaluated the effect of diet type (canned versus kibble) and dietary protein concentration on Se digestibility and bioactivity. Canned and kibble diets are commonly used formats of dog food, widely ranging in protein concentration. Twenty-four Labrador retrievers were used and four canned and four kibble diets were selected with crude protein concentrations ranging from 10.1 to 27.5 g/MJ. Crude protein concentration had no influence on the digestibility of Se in either canned or kibble diets, but a lower Se digestibility was observed in canned compared to kibble diets. However, the biological activity of Se, as measured by whole blood glutathione peroxidase, was higher in dogs fed the canned diets than in dogs fed the kibble diets and decreased with increasing crude protein intake. These results indicate that selenium recommendations in dog foods need to take diet type into account.
Highlights
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, primarily to protect against oxidative stress [1]
This study showed that the availability of Se through digestion and metabolism changed considerably with diet type
The higher apparent Se digestibility in kibble compared to canned diets suggests that the use of a single recommendation for Se inclusion levels in pet foods for both diet types needs reconsideration
Summary
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, primarily to protect against oxidative stress [1]. Current dietary recommendations include a safety margin to avoid loss of antioxidant protection at low concentrations and the risk of Se toxicity at high concentrations [2]. The Se and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SELECT) reported an increased risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 in humans with a high Se intake (200 μg selenomethionine/day) [12]. The effects of selenium intake on the health and longevity of companion animals such as the dog is coming under scrutiny [13,14]. The current recommended allowance for Se in dog food takes into account a bioavailability factor, but is not diet type specific [15], despite several studies reporting a large variation in Se digestibility between diet types [16,17,18,19]
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