THE EFFECT OF INORGANIC SELENIUM ON PRODUCTIVITY AND MEAT QUALITY OF FATTENING PIGS.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of higher amount of inorganic selenium (Na2SeO3) on productivity parameters and meat quality of pigs for fattening. Sixty 62-d-old pigs (Landrace x Yorkshire (mother) and Pietrain x Duroc (father)) for fattening which were individually weighed and were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments with 2 replicate stalls of 15 pigs each. The pigs were fed for 13 weeks ad libitum with a standard wheat-barleysoybean meal compound diet supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg Na2SeO3 and 75 mg/kg vit. E (Control group) and with 0.5 mg/kg Na2SeO3 and 75 mg/kg vit. E (Experimental group). Meat traits in live pigs were measured by ultrasonic equipment Piglog 105. The samples for the analysis of selenium were taken from the M. longissimus dorsi between 12 and last rib and from the liver. Chemical composition of breast meat was being determined by standard methods. The results of conducted trial showed, that the addition of 0.5 mg/g of sodium selenite in the diets of fattening pigs didn't affect productivity parameters, chemical meat composition, accumulation of selenium in the meat tissue, but significant improved the muscularity of pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]