PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Supporting pig performance with L-selenomethionine
Selenium has various functions with regard to pig health. The effects of selenium can be long lasting and depend on the source of selenium supplied to the animals. That applies to finisher pigs as well as sows and piglets.
BY JOLIEN VAN SOEST, CENTRAL TECHNICAL MANAGER, ORFFA S
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elenium, an essential trace element, has functions in reducing oxidative stress and improving reproduc- tion and immune status. A factor that contributes to oxidative stress in pigs is the high growth rate in
modern pig production. In addition, during gestation and lac- tation, sows are confronted with increased levels of oxidative stress, which can harm the development and health of the embryos. Therefore, high-performing sows require good antioxidant levels. An optimal level of selenium in the diet of pigs is known to protect against the harmful effects of oxidative stress in finishing pigs, sows and their offspring. Different sources of selenium are available that can be used to enrich the diet, including inorganic forms such as sodium selenite, but also organic forms such as selenised yeasts or L-selenomethionine. Organic selenium (in the form of
Figure 1 – Selenium concentration in Musculus longissimus dorsi (LD) for different selenium sources; control (0.05 mg Se/kg diet), sodium selenite (0.33 mg Se/kg diet), selenised yeast (0.32 mg Se/kg diet) and L-selenomethionine* (0.32 mg Se/kg diet).
Selenium concentration in LD d c,d c a,b
a a
c
L-selenomethionine) is preferred as it can be stored in animal proteins – like muscles, colostrum and milk – and can be efficiently transferred to the offspring. It is therefore hypothesised that organic selenium will have better and long-lasting effects in supporting finishing pigs, sows and their offspring during times of oxidative stress. The effects of different selenium sources – including L-selenome- thionine in finishing pigs, sows and piglets – were studied in several trials by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
a b
Control Sodium selenite Selenised yeast L-selenomethionine*
Day 0
* Excential Selenium 4000, Orffa. Source: Adapted from Falk et al. (2018).
Day 38 Days into trial Day 64
Effects of two selenium sources in sows A subsequent trial investigated the effects of two selenium sources on feed intake, blood parameters and selenium dep- osition in plasma, colostrum and milk in high-yielding sows. A total of 32 sows were included in this study, receiving either
42 ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 38, No. 3, 2022
Selenium deposition in finishing pigs A study with 24 finishing pigs investigated the effects of three selenium-supplemented diets and a non-supple- mented control diet on selenium deposition and immune responses. The selenium-supplemented diets differed in the selenium source: sodium selenite, selenised yeast or L-selenomethionine (Excential Selenium 4000, Orffa). L-selenomethionine allowed for the highest increase in seleni- um deposition in muscle tissue (see Figure 1). Other tissue samples also showed higher selenium levels for the group re- ceiving L-selenomethionine in their diet than receiving the other selenium sources. That indicates that L-selenomethio- nine allows for higher selenium storage in body tissue, which animals can use under stress when selenium uptake is limited. Pigs that were supplemented with selenium under normal conditions without a disease challenge showed a better im- mune status and lower levels of inflammatory markers. This is shown by the fact that selenoprotein W (SelenoW) and sele- noprotein H (SelenoH), both selenogenes, were higher ex- pressed in pigs that received additional selenium. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and cyclo-oxygenase 2 (cox2) expression, both inflammatory markers, were lower in selenium-supple- mented pigs. Organic selenium also allows for a better bal- anced immune system, which is shown by the reduction in caspase 3 (casp3) expression, involved in apoptosis. When the pigs were challenged with the endotoxin LPS, the important anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was upregulated in the pigs that received L-selenomethionine.
Selenium concentration (mg/kg)
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