Effect of Dietary Clay Mineral and Organic Selenium Supplementation on Broilers

Abstract Selenium is an essential trace element that has several important biological roles in humans, including regulation of the antioxidant defense system, improving immunity, and maintaining body homeostasis. However, in countries with densely populated populations around the world, selenium intake is less than the recommended daily intake due to a lack of selenium in the soil. So, we hypothesized that the addition of organic selenium and clay minerals to broiler feed would increase selenium concentration in the meat as well as antioxidant capacity and immune response. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of clay minerals and organotaselenium on growth performance, digestibility, intestinal morphology, blood characteristics, fecal microbiome, foot-pad dermatitis and meat quality characteristics of broilers. A total of 168 1-d old broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were randomly assigned to 3 groups based on the initial body weight (37.33 ± 0.24 g) with 7 replicate per 8 birds (mixed sex). The experiments period was 28 d. Dietary treatments were: basal diets based on corn-soybean meal (Control group), basal diet supplemented with 1000 ppm zeolite and 0.2 ppm seleno-methionine (Treatment 1), and basal diet supplemented with 1000 ppm zeolite and 0.4 ppm seleno-methionine (Treatment 2). Supplementation of zeolite and seleno-methionine did not affect (P > 0.05) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, foot-pad dermatitis. However, increasing level of seleno-metionine showed linear increase (P < 0.05) in villus height/crypt depth ratio of duodenum and selenium concentration in breast meat. Also, increasing level of seleno-methionine showed linear decrease (P < 0.05) in blood uric acid. Total genomic DNA was used to assess the fecal microbiota diversity and composition using the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. There were differences in alpha diversity and beta diversity in fecal microbiomes among treatments (P < 0.05). Taxonomic analysis at phylum level revealed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes of Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 were significantly less than control group. In genus level, the relative abundance of fecal Lactobacillus and Enterococcus of Treatment groups were greater than control group. In short, 1000 ppm zeolite and 0.4 ppm seleno-methionine supplementation to broiler diet supported positive gut microbime change, and enhanced antioxidant capacity, and concentration of selenium in muscle.