Effects of organic and inorganic selenium mixes in pregnant sows on piglet growth, selenium levels in serum and milk, and selenium deposition in newborn piglet tissues.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic and inorganic selenium mixes in pregnant sows on piglet growth, selenium levels in serum and milk, and selenium deposition in newborn piglet tissues.

Methods: A total of 44 multiparous sows (Yorkshire×Landrace) with average body weight (BW), backfat thickness, and parity were assigned to one of the three treatments with 14 or 15 sows per treatment in a completely randomized design. The treatments were as follows: i) Control, corn-soybean meal-based diet with no addition of selenium premix; ii) ISOS (mixed inorganic selenium and organic selenium) 30, a basal diet supplemented with 0.15 ppm of inorganic Se and 0.15 ppm of organic Se; iii) ISOS50, a basal diet supplemented with 0.25 ppm of inorganic Se and 0.25 ppm of organic Se.

Results: At day 21 of lactation, supplementing a high level of mixed Se at 0.50 ppm resulted in higher piglet BW and weight gain than adding a low level of mixed Se at 0.30 ppm (p<0.05). Selenium concentration of colostrum in sows fed ISOS50 diet was significantly higher than those in sows fed ISOS30 diet (p<0.05). Selenium concentrations in the serum at days 90 and 110 of gestation and 24 hours postpartum were highest when sows were fed ISOS50 diet (p<0.05). Additionally, increasing levels of mixed Se led to an increase in piglet serum Se concentration at 24 hours postpartum (p<0.05). Before ingesting colostrum, piglets from sows fed a mixed selenium (Se) diet had significantly higher kidney Se concentrations compared to those from the control group, with the ISOS50 treatment showing the most significant difference (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Supplementation of the gestation diet with 0.5 ppm of mixed Se may improve piglet growth performance, increase Se concentrations in milk, and enhance Se status in the serum of sows, as well as in the serum and tissues of their offspring.