Comparative effects of barley feed and sodium selenite on selenium levels in hen eggs and tissues

Abstract

Abstract. An investigation was made into the effects of barleys with varying levels of selenium, and of sodium selenite, on the selenium content of organs in laying hens (blood, spleen, breast muscle, liver, kidney, lung, heart, gizzard and ovary) and in the yolks and whites of their eggs.The results indicated that grain Se affects the Se level of organs far more than sodium selenite supplementation. The Se concentrations of feed and organs correlate logarithmically, and blood Se in hen is the most reliable indicator of the Se level in other organs.It was typically observed that while variations in grain Se caused similar changes in the Se level of both egg yolk and white, sodium selenite primarily affected the yolk Se level. This contrasting effect is similar to that found in earlier published reports

A comparison of selenomethionine and sodium selenite as a supplement in chicken feeds

“…This prolonged excretion may be due to a slower protein turnover in the precursor pools used for egg white synthesis as compared to egg yolk. The excretion pattern seen here is rin contrast to the results obtained by Kiiiintee & Kurkela (1980) who observed a sharp drop in egg white Se during the initial depletion phase which then rose before again declining slowly to the basal level. This discrepancy may be due to different Se sources and to the short feeding period (only 4 weeks) as compared with the present experiment.…”