Kinetics of selenium absorption in ligated small intestinal loops of chicks

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that has a large number of biological functions for broilers. However, the absorption kinetics of Se from sodium selenite in the small intestine of broilers remains unclear. Therefore, two experiments were conducted with 28-d-old commercial male broilers to study the kinetics of Se absorption in ligated small intestinal segments. In experiment 1, the Se absorption in duodenal, jejunal, and ileal segments at different post-perfusion time points (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 min) were compared. In experiment 2, a kinetic study of Se absorption was conducted with the duodenal, jejunal, and ileal loops perfused with solutions containing 0, 0.0375, 0.075, 0.15, 0.30, or 0.60 μg mL−1 of Se as sodium selenite, and Se contents in perfusates were determined at 100 min after perfusion. The results from experiment 1 showed that the Se absorption increased in an asymptotic response (P