EFFECT OF SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTATION ON BLOOD METABOLIC PROFILE OF BUFFALO HEIFERS

An experiment was conducted for 120 days on twenty Murrah buffalo heifers (24-30 months, 238.91 +/- 16.46 kg), divided into two groups of ten heifers in each. Both the groups received same concentrate mixture (40% maize, 44% mustard cake 8% wheat bran, 5% arhar chuni, 2% mineral mixture and 1% common salt) with ad libitum wheat straw, while in concentrate mixture of treatment group, 0.2ppm of selenium was added. The blood samples were collected on day 0 and 120. Levels of serum total protein, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol and creatinine were similar in the both groups. The level of globulin was higher (P<0.05) and that of albumin was lower (P<0.05) in the treatment group thus the ratio of Albumin: Globulin was lower (P<0.05) in supplemented group. The serum level of enzyme aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were similar (P>0.05) in both the groups. It was concluded that supplementation of 0.2ppm Se had no effect on blood metabolic profile of buffalo heifers, except for increased globulin and reduced albumin levels.