Efficacy of Selenium in Selenium Compounds and Feedstuffs for Prevention of Pancreatic Fibrosis in Chicks

The efficacy of dietary supplements of selenium provided by sodium selenite, selenomethionine, selenocystine, wheat, and tuna meal was evaluated for prevention of pancreatic fibrosis in chicks fed a crystalline amino acid basal diet containing 0.012 ppm of naturally occurring Se and 15 IU vitamin E/kg diet. Histological examination of the pancreases indicated that wheat and selenomethionine were the most effective sources of selenium. The three selenium compounds were reevaluated in a subsequent experiment using a basal diet supplemented with 100 IU vitamin E/kg of diet. Selenomethionine was four times as effective as either selenite or selenocystine with respect to prevention of pancreatic degeneration and increasing the relative weight and selenium concentration of the pancreas. Studies on plasma and pancreatic glutathione peroxidase activities did not show any relationship between enzyme activity and prevention of the deficiency disease.