Effect of organic and inorganic selenium supplementation on growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant property of broilers

Abstract

Ninety-six thousand one-day-old AA broilers were randomly assigned to two groups, 5 replicates in each group, and 9,600 chickens for each replicate. In the control group, 0.3 part per million (ppm) inorganic selenium (Na₂SeO₃) was added to the diets; while in the experimental group, 0.3 ppm organic selenium (Se-enriched yeast) was added to the same basal diets. The feeding experimental period was 42 days. The results show that: (1) Organic selenium could increase daily weight gain and feed intake by 8.92 (P<0.05) and 3.99% (P<0.05), and decrease survival rate and feed conversion by 0.93 (P<0.05) and 4.84% (P<0.05), indicating that the effects of organic selenium on broiler growth performance were better than that of inorganic selenium, except for survival rate. (2) Compared with the control, meat red color degree of chest and thigh muscles were increased by 13.98 (P<0.05) and 20.83% (P<0.05); the drip losses of chest and thigh muscles were decreased by 13.57 (P<0.05) and 24.92% (P<0.05), respectively. (3) Serum glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in experimental group were 155.83% higher than that in the control (P<0.05). These results indicate that the effects of organic selenium on enhancing body oxidation resistance were superior to that of inorganic selenium.

Key words: Organic selenium, broilers, growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant property.