Bioavailability of selenium from selenium-enriched milk assessed in the artificially reared neonatal pig

There is interest in pre-farm gate fortification of the diet with highly bioavailable selenium (Se) to improve public health, so the aim of the present study was to determine the bioavailabilities of Se from Se-enriched whole milk and milk replacers supplemented with exogenous Se in neonatal pigs. Milk enriched with Se (1070 mu g Se/kg dry matter (DM); HSeM) was obtained from cows supplemented with selenised yeast while the control milk diet (135 mu g Se/kg DM; LSeM) was made using milk powder from non-supplemented cows. Additional diets were formulated by adding selenised yeast (HSP) or selenate (HSN) to the LSeM diet to give final Se concentrations of 1070 mu g Se/kg DM. Neonatal pigs were trained to drink milk and then randomly allocated to their four respective diets and slaughter times (0, 7, 14, 28 and 42 days of feeding). Plasma Se increased over the first 2 1 days in pigs consuming HSeM, reaching a value over three times higher than the LSeM pigs. Plasma Se concentrations plateaued at 45, 12 5, 122 and 170 mu g/mL for LSeM, HSN, HSP and HSeM pigs, respectively (P < 0.001). After 28 days, muscle Se plateaued at 47, 106, 237 and 486 mu g/kg for LSeM, HSN, HSP and HSeM pigs, respectively (P< 0.001). Colonic selenoprotein P gene expression was greater (P = 0.024) in pigs fed HSeM compared with LSeM while the HSP and HSN were intermediate. These data suggest that Se in milk from cows fed selenised yeast is highly bioavailable and may offer a means of delivering supplemental Se to humans.