Selenium Status in Cattle at Slaughter: Analyses of Blood, Skeletal Muscle, and Liver

Abstract

Pavlata L., A. Pechová, O. Beãváfi, J. Illek: Selenium Status in Cattle at Slaughter: Analyses of Blood, Skeletal Muscle, and Liver. Acta Vet. Brno 2001, 70: 277-284.The objective of the study was to assess relationships among selenium concentrations in the blood, and liver and diaphragmatic muscle tissues and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in whole blood and to decide on the use of these biochemical values in the diagnostics of selenium deficiency in cattle. Samples were collected from 44 cattle at slaughter. Regression and correlation analyses yielded equations of regression lines and correlation coefficients (r) documenting significant (p < 0.01) relationships between whole blood selenium concentration on the one hand and all the other biochemical parameters under study on the other hand. The relations were expressed by the following equations and correlation coefficients: blood Se vs. liver tissue Se y = 1.20x + 31.58, r = 0.78; blood Se vs. muscular tissue Se y = 0.53x + 11.97, r = 83; blood Se vs. GSH-Px y = 8.29x -68.77, r = 0.93. The equations were used to calculate selenium concentrations in hepatic and muscular tissues and GSH-Px activity corresponding to whole blood selenium concentration of 100 µg.l -1 and critical concentrations indicating selenium deficiency (calculated value -10%). Poor selenium status, as assessed from blood, muscle and liver selenium concentrations, was found in 80%, 70% and 73% of the tested animals, respectively. Considering these results and the rather uniform within-herd distribution of the values we can conclude that tissue analyses are suitable for the assessment of selenium status particularly in feeder bulls and grazed beef cattle in which only minor individual differences in selenium supply can be expected.

Iodine and Selenium Contents in Skeletal Muscles of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in the Czech Republic

“…Similarly as iodine, the lowest mean content of selenium was measured in the meat of red deer in the localities of Protected Landscape Area Šumava (13.6 μg Se·kg -1 ). The results of selenium monitoring in game animals are comparable with the low values determined in muscles of cattle in these localities by the same chemical method by Pavlata et al (2001). These low selenium values indicate selenium deficiency in clinical form in cattle and sheep in Šumava localities where selenium concentration was also low in the plants (Kursa and Kroupová 1975).…”

“…Essential need of selenium and its efficiency in the prevention and therapy of some diseases in human population (Kvíčala et al 2003) and in farm animals (Enjalbert et al 1999;Pavlata et al 2001) has been studied, including its role in human nutrition (Anke 2007).…”

Selenium Status of Cattle in the Czech Republic

“…Other authors preferred the determination of selenium concentration in the blood or tissues 2000a;2000b;2001b). The results of all these studies indicate that the current selenium status in cattle is unsatisfactory and that more data on the distribution of selenium deficiency in various regions of the Czech Republic is necessary.…”

Differences in the occurrence of selenium, copper and zinc deficiencies in dairy cows, calves, heifers and bulls

“…Hitherto results of investigations into microelement deficiencies in cattle suggest that the situation on Czech dairy farms is far from being satisfactory, and data on other bovine categories are scarce (Koutnik et al, 1996;Pavlata et al, 2000Pavlata et al, , 2001bPavlata et al, , 2002Pavlata et al, , 2004b. Furthermore, because mineral element deficiencies were found in the human population in this country (Kvicala et al, 1995(Kvicala et al, , 2003Kvicala and Jiranek, 1999), information on microelement levels in farm animals may be important not only for the health of these animals but also for human medicine because these animals are used as foodstuffs (Koutnik and Ingr, 1998).…”