Selenium and vitamin E in horses.

The research article discusses a study conducted on horses to understand the concentration of Selenium and Vitamin E in their blood, and how these concentrations change under different conditions and feeding habits.

Study Objective and Methodology

• The primary aim of this research was to evaluate selenium and vitamin E concentrations in horses at four breeding farms located in New York.
• The researchers studied any changes in mean blood selenium concentrations at three different points in time.
• They also looked into how these concentrations fluctuated seasonally – particularly focusing on Vitamin E concentrations.
• The researchers compared horses that were fed local feed and commercial feed to understand how their diet influenced their selenium concentration.

Findings and Observations

• No significant variations were noted in the mean blood selenium concentrations across the three sampling dates.
• However, the study found seasonal fluctuations in the horses’ Vitamin E concentrations.
• The average blood selenium concentration for horses fed on local feed was established to be 7.7 microgram/dl, whereas those fed commercial feed had a higher concentration, at 15.6 microgram/dl.
• The study also found a high correlation (0.94) between blood glutathione peroxidase activity and blood selenium concentrations in horses, signifying that the two variables move in tandem.

Research on Supplementation

• The researchers also experimented on the effects of oral and parenteral selenium administration, evaluating how these modes of supplementation influenced blood selenium concentrations and blood glutathione peroxidase activity.
• The study found that a daily oral supplementation of 1mg selenium increased the horses’ blood selenium concentrations to levels above those associated with myodegeneration in horses and foals.
• In gestating mares, only a limited amount of selenium was observed to cross the placental barrier.
• The study suggests that parenteral supplementation of mares during pregnancy and lactation, or supplementation of foals from birth, could increase their blood selenium levels above those associated with selenium/vitamin E deficiency.