article · South African Journal of Animal Science
This research evaluates the effects of adding nano-elemental selenium or conventional sodium selenite to the diets of broiler chickens between 15 and 27 days of age. Birds fed nano-selenium demonstrated greater bodyweight gain, alongside higher breast and thigh muscle yields, compared to both the control group and birds fed sodium selenite. Both selenium sources increased muscle selenium and fat concentrations, while also upregulating antioxidant genes, including glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Nano-selenium uniquely reduced circulating total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood plasma. Furthermore, dietary selenium supplementation increased the expression of muscle genes linked to growth and glucose transport, such as insulin-like growth factor-I and glucose transporter 8. Overall, the findings demonstrate that nano-selenium improves growth performance, muscle composition, and antioxidant capacity in broilers more effectively than standard sodium selenite.
Poultry production continually seeks nutritional strategies to improve bird growth, meat quality, and animal health. This study demonstrates that supplementing broiler feed with nano-selenium enhances weight gain, increases muscle yield, and stimulates protective antioxidant genes more effectively than conventional mineral forms. For livestock industries, understanding these benefits offers a route to refining feed additives, potentially improving animal robustness and the nutritional profile of poultry meat.
These findings could inform the development of specialised feed additives for the commercial poultry industry. Feed manufacturers and poultry producers are the primary prospective users of nano-selenium supplements designed to enhance meat yield and antioxidant status. Because the results derive from a small-scale trial involving thirty birds over a twelve-day feeding period, the technology sits at an applied research stage and requires larger commercial-scale trials and regulatory consideration before practical deployment.
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Nano-elemental selenium (nano-Se) has attracted more attention than sodium selenite (SS), owing to its low toxicity, high bioavailability, strong adsorbing ability and high catalytic efficiency. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of dietary supplementation with SS and nano-Se on the growth performance, digestibility, blood parameters and gene expressions related to growth and oxidation in broilers. Thirty broiler chicks at 15 days old were randomly divided into three dietary treatments, namely control (basal diet without any supplementation with selenium (Se)); SS treatment (basal diet + 1 mg SS/kg diet); and nano-Se treatment (basal diet + 0.5 mg nano-Se/kg diet). The birds were given the experimental diets from 15 to 27 days old. Bodyweight gain was enhanced in the nano-Se group, but was not influenced by SS supplementation. Breast muscle and thigh muscle weights were higher in dietary supplementation of nano-Se. Although muscle fat and Se content were significantly higher in dietary supplementation of SS and nano-Se in comparison with control, muscle thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and α-tocopherol concentrations were not influenced. Moreover, by feeding SS or nano-Se, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mRNA expressions in muscles were higher than in the control group. Plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in the nano-Se group than in the other groups, while, plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and triiodothyronine (T3) were not significantly affected. However, mRNAs levels in muscle tissue, namely insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporters (Glut-8) were significantly higher; while atrogin-1 was not significantly affected by dietary Se supplementation. It could be concluded that dietary SS and nano-Se might be involved in improving growth performance, muscle Se content and antioxidative properties in broilers.Keywords: Antioxidative status, growth, digestibility, gene expressions
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DOI: 10.4314/sajas.v49i1.20
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