The effect of selenium supplements on selenium metabolism, performance and intestinal microbiome in farm animals (review)

Abstract

Selenium is one of the most important essential elements for immune function and general health of cattle. The role of selenium in maintaining animal health is primarily based on the functions of selenocysteine-containing proteins, many of which have antioxidant activity. Role of selenium in Animal Health is primarily based on the functions of selenocysteine-containing proteins, many of which possess antioxidant activity. Insufficient selenium intake can be accompanied by subclinical diseases, which leads to a decrease in productivity. It was determined that the inclusion of additional sources of selenium has a significant effect on live weight gain, quality characteristics of meat, as well as the intestinal microbiome in cattle and other types of farm animals (pigs, poultry). However, despite the rather high level of knowledge of the selenium role in the implementation of the functional traits in farm animals, there is still no consensus in the scientific community on the optimal dosages and methods of feeding selenium, which reduces the effectiveness of the use of selenium-containing preparations in practical animal husbandry.