The effects of selenium deficiency, dietary selenium, and vitamin E supplementation on the oxidative status of pig liver.

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of selenium (Se) deficiency on the porcine liver oxidative stability and to investigate Se content and oxidative status in porcine liver after dietary supplementation with vitamin E (vit E), sodium selenite, and selenized yeast. Experimental animals were fed a basal corn meal, low in Se and vit E, for a 4-week depletion period before being given the experimental diets containing different levels of Se and/or vit E for 5 months. Dietary treatments were the basal diet with no additions (control); the basal diet supplemented with 25 mg of vit E/kg of feed (group I); basal diet + 0.3 mg selenite-Se/kg (group II); basal diet + 0.3 mg selenized yeast-Se/kg (group III); basal diet + 0.1 mg selenite-Se + 10 mg vit E/kg (group IV); and basal diet + 0.3 mg selenite-Se + 25 mg vit E/kg (group V). The Se content in pig liver samples was 33 to 192% lower in the control group than in all the other groups. Dietary Se from selenized yeast had a more pronounced effect on Se level than dietary sodium selenite. The highest Se content was found in liver samples from the Se + vit E supplemented group (group V). All the dietary supplementation schemes significantly improved the oxidative status of porcine liver compared with the control group samples. The best results were obtained by simultaneous dietary supplementation with Se + vit E (groups IV and V) > group III > group II > group I.