SELENIUM CONTENT IN THE OVARIES OF FREE-LIWING CERVIDAE FROM NORDEASTERN POLAND

Selenium is counted among the trace elements necessary for the maintenance of metabolic processes occurring in the animal body, including the proper functioning of the reproductive system. The aim of the study conducted was to analyze the selenium content in the ovaries of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in an attempt to establish a range of reference values for individuals of these species. Selenium concentrations in tissues tested were determined using spectrofluorometric method after wet mineralization in HNO3 and HClO4 mixture. Ovaries Se concentrations ranged from 0.034–0.338 mg⋅kg−1 wet weight and 0.015–0.285 mg⋅kg−1 wet weight in roe deer and red deer respectively. Based on the results, it was found that the average selenium content was higher in the ovaries of red deer and was 0.11 while in roe deer it was 0.09 mg⋅kg−1 wet weight. The gonads of European roe deer were characterized by higher variability of the analyzed pa- rameter in relation to samples obtained from female red deer. The coefficient of variation in their case was almost 90.1, while the value of the coefficient of variation for selenium content in the parenchymal layer of ovaries in red deer was almost 67.6.