Effect of selenium supplementation and plane of nutrition on mares and their foals: selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase.

This study explores the impact of selenium supplementation and nutrition level on mares and their foals, specifically regarding selenium concentrations and the activity of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. The research suggests that the diet of the mare can affect the selenium levels in the mare and her foal, but not the activity of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase.

Objective and Methodology

• The research aimed to understand the effects of selenium yeast supplementation and different nutrition levels on the selenium concentrations and activity of glutathione peroxidase in the plasma of mares and their offspring.
• 28 Quarter Horse mares of different weights and ages were part of the investigation.
• The mares were divided into blocks based on their expected foaling dates and were randomly assigned different diet treatments within these blocks.
• These nutritional treatments comprised of two planes of nutrition and two levels of selenium yeast supplementation. The treatments involved diets of pasture alone, pasture with a grain mix, pasture and grain mix with selenium, or pasture with selenium.
• The investigation started 110 days before the estimated foaling date and continued till foaling. During this time, blood and muscle samples from the mares were monitored every 14 and 28 days, respectively. Other variables including mare body weight, body condition score, and rump fat were also recorded.
• After foaling, samples from the foals and colostrum were collected and tested.

Findings

• The body weight, body condition score, and rump fat of the mares were influenced by their nutritional intake, but not by selenium supplementation.
• Mares on the grain mix diet displayed higher body weight, body condition score, and rump fat measurements throughout the investigation.
• Higher selenium concentrations in the mare’s plasma, muscle, and colostrum were observed in mares that were fed selenium.
• Plasma selenium was higher in mares who were fed a grain mix rather than just pasture.
• Levels of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that helps prevent damage to cells, were not affected by either nutrition or selenium supplementation.
• Foal plasma and muscle selenium concentrations were higher when the mother mares were given a grain mix diet and selenium supplementation.

Conclusion

• The research concluded that the nutritional intake of the mare and selenium supplementation can influence selenium concentrations in both the mare and the foal.
• However, neither the plane of nutrition nor the selenium supplementation had an effect on the activity of glutathione peroxidase.