HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Calamari, L. Articles by Bertin, G. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Calamari, L. Articles by Bertin, G.

Metabolic and hematological profiles in mature horses supplemented with different selenium sources and doses

L. Calamari^*, F. Abeni and G. Bertin

^* Istituto di Zootecnica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29100 Piacenza, Italy , Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Sede distaccata per l’allevamento della vacca da latte, 26100 Cremona, Italy European Union Regulatory Affairs Department, Alltech France, 92300 Levallois-Perret, France

luigi.calamari{at}unicatt.it

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary Se source and dose on metabolic and hematological profiles, and their relationships with oxidative status in horses. Twenty-five mature horses were blocked by BW and randomly allocated to 1 of 5 dietary treatments: negative control (CTRL: 0.085 mg Se/kg DM), 3 different dietary concentrations of organic Se provided by Se yeast (SY02, SY03, and SY04 containing 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mg total Se/kg DM, respectively), and 1 positive control provided by sodium selenite (SS03 containing 0.3 mg total Se/kg DM). Horses were fed the same basal diet (6 kg of grass hay and 3 kg of concentrate per horse daily) and received their respective treatments for a continuous period of 112 d. Jugular venous blood samples were collected before the morning feed on d 0, 28, 56, 84, and 112. Whole blood was analyzed for hematological profile, and plasma was analyzed for metabolites of energy, protein, and mineral metabolism, enzymatic activities and metabolites related to liver and muscle damage, and markers of inflammatory and oxidative status. Plasma metabolites related to energy, protein, and mineral metabolism, acute phase proteins, and enzyme activities related to hepatocellular, hepatobiliary, and muscle damage were not affected by Se source or dose. There were no differences among treatments in either reactive oxygen metabolites or thiol group concentrations in plasma. However, a linear decrease (P < 0. 01) in plasma total antioxidants was observed with increasing Se yeast supplementation. Furthermore, total antioxidant concentrations were lower in SY03 than SS03 horses (P < 0.05), and were lower in SY03 and SY04 than CTRL horses (P < 0.05). These results could be interpreted as an improvement in the preventive antioxidant systems of horses fed Se yeast. Total white blood cell count was not affected by treatment. There was a tendency for horses receiving greater concentrations of Se yeast to have greater lymphocyte counts (P = 0.09), with greater lymphocyte counts in blood of SY03 vs. SS03 horses (P < 0.05). Despite the lack of effect of Se source and dose on markers of inflammatory and liver status, the hematological profile seems to indicate an immunomodulatory action, as shown by mild changes in the white blood cell populations in response to Se yeast inclusion.

Key Words: hematological profile • horse • oxidative status • Se yeast • sodium selenite