Effects of Different Selenium Sources on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity and Meat Quality of Local Chinese Subei Chickens

Despite increasing evidence indicating the essential involvement of selenium (Se) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality of commercial broilers, the effects of different Se sources on local Chinese Subei chickens is unclear. A total of 360 50-day-old male chickens were individually weighed and randomly allocated to four treatment groups. Chickens in each of the four groups were fed diets supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg as sodium Se (SS), Se-enriched yeast (SY), selenomethionine (Met-Se), or nano red element Se (Nano-Se) for 40 days. At the end of the experiment, one bird of approximately average weight from each cage was selected and slaughtered, and blood and breast muscles samples were collected. The results showed that there was no significant difference in feed intake, body weight gain, or feed to gain ratio among treatments (P > 0.05). Dietary SY, Met-Se, and Nano-Se supplementation increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase in serum and breast muscles and decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde in serum and carbonyl in breast muscles compared with the SS group (P < 0.05). Moreover, SY, Met-Se, and Nano-Se supplementation increased pH(45min), total protein solubility, and myofibrillar protein solubility, as well as decreased the shear force value compared with the SS group (P < 0.05). In addition, birds in the SY and Met-Se groups exhibited lower cooking loss compared with the SS group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, organic Se and Nano-Se supplementation resulted in an improvement of antioxidant capacity and meat quality in local Chinese Subei chickens relative to inorganic Se.