Short-term influence of oral supplementation with selenitetriglycerides on hematological and biochemical measurements in sheep of Kamieniecka breed

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oral administration of selenitetriglycerides on the selenium level and selected hematological and biochemical parameters in Kamieniecka sheep. Sheep in the experimental group received a preparation in the form of selenitetriglycerides orally at a dose of 2 ml per animal for the next 7 days (1 mg Se/kg body weight). Blood was collected from each mother sheep: on day 0 before Se administration, and then on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 30 of the experiment. Serum selenium concentration in the control group was similar on all sampling days and ranged from 75.38 μg/l to 88.34 μg/l. In the experimental group, the selenium level was the lowest before supplementation and increased significantly during supplementation (p≤0.01), starting from the 1st day of the experiment, to reach the peak value on the 7th day (791.72 μg/l). The selenium concentration was significantly higher (p≤0.01) compared to the baseline values even on the 30th day of the experiment (214.78 μg/l) 23 days after the end of selenitetriglyceride supplementation. The research showed that the dose of selenitetriglycerides was safe and effectively improved the Se level in the tested Kamieniecka sheep. Monitored hematological and biochemical parameters showed that supplementation does not negatively affect any vital functions of the body. It was found that oral administration of selenitetriglycerides is an effective and safe form of selenium supplementation in sheep mothers before reproduction.