Vitamin E Activity of Selenium in Turkey Hatchability

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONA NUMBER of workers have reported the vitamin E-like activity of selenium in preventing exudative diathesis in chicks (Schwartz et al., 1957; Reid et al., 1958; and Patterson et al., 1957). Schwartz et al. (1957) reported dried brewers yeast and vitamin-free casein completely prevented symptoms of exudative diathesis and promoted good growth when fed at the 10% level in the diet of rats. They also reported the presence of a factor 3, which they described as, “The biologically active, selenium containing component, or components, present in nutrients and other materials of biological origin,” to be present in dried brewers yeast.Creech et al. (1957) showed that exudative diathesis, produced in Beltsville Small White turkey poults, could be prevented by the addition of alpha-tocopherol acetate to the diet. Dried brewers yeast was also found to prevent this condition. These investigators determined the relationship between serum protein of the poult and the…