Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Blood Status and Milk, Urine, and Fecal Excretion in Pregnant and Lactating Camel

Abstract

Ten pregnant female camels divided into two groups received, after a 2-week adaptation period, an oral selenium (Se) supplementation (0 and 2 mg, respectively) under sodium selenite form for 6 months from the three last months of gestation up to the three first months of lactation. Feed intake was assessed daily. Blood samples and body weight were taken on a biweekly basis, both in dams and their camel calves after parturition. Feces and urine samples were collected monthly and milk on a biweekly basis. The Se concentration in serum increased significantly in the supplemented group and was threefold higher than the concentration compared to the control group, respectively, 305.9 +/- 103.3 and 109.3 +/- 33.1 ng/mL. The selenium concentration increased in similar proportion in milk (86.4 +/- 39.1 ng/mL in the control group vs 167.1 +/- 97.3 ng/mL in treated group), in urine, and feces. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity varied between 18.1 +/- 8.7 IU/g hemoglobin (Hb) in control group and 47.5 +/- 25.6 IU/g Hb in treated group but decreased after parturition in both groups. Vitamin E did not change significantly and was, on average, 1.17 +/- 0.72 and 1.14 +/- 0.89 ng/mL in the control and treated groups, respectively. Significant correlations were reported between serum Se, milk Se, GSH-Px, and fecal and urinary excretion or concentration. Blood values in camel calves were similar to those of the dams. The results seemed to confirm the sensitivity of camel to Se supplementation with an important increase of selenium in serum and milk.

Effect of Selenium injection in pregnant camels on selenium status of their new-born and milk

“…In the same area than our study, Athamma et al (2012) found 37.2 and 46.1 ng/mL in dam and new-born respectively. In Emirates, with camel receiving 2mg/day oral Se supplementation, the Se serum concentrations in camel calf at parturition were 273.2 ± 48.0 and 106.3 ± 26.5 ng/mL in the treated and control groups respectively (Seboussi et al, 2009a) i.e. a similar proportion than in dams.…”

“…They stated also on the specific Se metabolism in camel regarding the toxicity threshold (Seboussi et al, 2009b) and the supplementation which cannot be applied directly from cattle requirements. Moreover, those former results obtained in Emirates (Seboussi et al, 2009a) were reported in a context of Se deficiency widely observed in the field with numerous cases of white muscle disease or heart failure due to lack of Se in the mother's diet, and furthermore partly with dams receiving before calving an oral Se supplementation under selenite form. In Saudi Arabia, where selenium status in human population was regarded as low (Al-Saleh, 2000), selenium deficiency was regularly incriminated also in grazing livestock.…”

“…In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the mean value was 200 ± 90 ng/mL in animals with no Se supplementation (Seboussi et al, 2004). In recent experiments with different levels of Se supplementation, selenium content in serum for non-supplemented animals was on average 137.6 ± 18.7 ng/mL in nonpregnant, non-lactating camels (Seboussi et al, 2008), 109.3 ± 33.1 ng/mL in pregnant females, and 103.4 ± 28.7 ng/mL at milking period (Seboussi et al, 2009a). The variability was thus high and the range between 12 and 200 ng/mL with an average of 100 ng/mL.…”

“…However, with daily oral supplementation, a most important effect was reported. In two groups of pregnant females receiving 0 and 2 mg Se respectively under sodium selenite form at the end of their gestation (last three months) and at the beginning of their lactation up to one month (Seboussi et al, 2009a), the mean value of selenium content in serum was significantly higher in supplemented group (2 mg) and was three-fold higher than the concentration compared to the control group (305.9 ± 103.3 ng/mL and 109.3 ± 33.1 ng/mL respectively). The selenium level at parturition was still significantly higher in the treated group in spite of a slight decrease around the calving period.…”

“…Previous studies were mainly limited to blood status and only 3 references are available on the selenium quantity transferred through milk to the camel calf (Al-Qarawi et al, 2001;Seboussi et al, 2009a;Faye et al, 2011). These publications showed a high variability of the Se content in milk according to the Se status of the mother before calving and to lactation stage after calving.…”