Comparison of organic and inorganic forms of selenium in the mother and kid relationship in goats

The goal of the experiment was to compare the effect of four different forms of selenium (Se) - sodium selenite (SS), lactate-protein selenium complex (SL), selenium enriched yeast (SY), and selenium-proteinate (SP) supplemented to pregnant goats on Se concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the blood of goats on the day of delivery and also on Se concentration and GSH-Px activity in the blood of newborn kids. The experiment involved 33 pregnant goats of White Short-haired breed. The supplementation started 6 weeks before the parturition. The goats were divided into 5 groups: control group C, not supplemented, and 4 trial groups (SL, SP, SS, SY), which received Se in the above stated forms by the means of supplemented pellets (300 g per animal per day) at a rate 900 μg Se/kg of dry matter. The average Se concentrations in the blood of the goats were 79.6 μg/l in group C, 152.6 μg/l in group SL, 167.1 μg/l in group SP, 144.9 μg/l in group SS, and 152.9 μg/l in group SY. Selenium concentrations in all 4 trial groups were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in control group, however no significant difference was found between individual trial groups. Likewise, the activity of GSH-Px in goat blood increased significantly in all supplemented groups compared to the controls; however we did not discover any significant differences in activity of GSH-Px between the individual selenium-supplemented groups. The Se concentrations in the blood of kids were significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the selenium-supplemented groups (SL - 94.9 μg/l, SP - 87.5 μg/l, SS - 87.6 μg/l, SY - 92.5 μg/l) than in the control group (C - 49.4 μg/l), but we did not discover any differences between the individual experimental groups. The activity of GSH-Px in the blood of the kids tended towards higher values in the supplemented groups than in the control group, but the values were significantly higher (P < 0.05) only in groups SY and SL. We have found significant correlation between GSH-Px activity and Se concentration in the blood of goats (r = 0.86) and newborn kids (r = 0.95). Likewise, there was significant correlation between Se concentration in the blood of goats and their kids (r = 0.74). We discovered that the kids are reaching physiologically only about 60% of Se status in whole blood in comparison with their mothers. Our results are suggesting that all the above forms of Se were similarly utilised and transferred into the foetus in the goats.