THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF SELENIUM COMPOUNDS ON THE VETERINARY AND SANITARY INDICATORS OF PORK

Abstract

Studies have shown that the diet of Russians contains considerably less selenium than they need. Insufficient intake of selenium can provoke a number of dangerous diseases. The enrichment of mass consumption foodstuffs with selenium through the introduction of selenium-containing compounds into the feeds of farm animals is one of the ways to provide people with this microelement in a sufficient dose. Comprehensive evaluation of the influence of selenopyran (an organic compound of selenium) as a part of feed additive to swine diet, on productivity, accumulation and distribution of selenium in organs and tissues of animals, biological value of meat products has not been conducted by other researchers. Three groups of fattening piglets were formed to study this issue. Animals of the first experimental group received 0.3 mg of selenium in the form of selenopyran per one kilogram of feed, the second group received sodium selenite in the same dose. The third group was a control one. The research showed that the level of selenium in the muscle tissue of animals fed with selenopyran and sodium selenite exceeded this indicator of the control group, while the accumulation and distribution of the microelement in the body depended on the form of selenium compound. In addition, in animals of the experimental groups the content of essential fusible fatty acids in the speck and lipids of meat increased. This proves that the use of selenium-containing compounds of organic and inorganic nature at the dose of 0.3 mg of selenium per 1 kg of feed can increase the biological value of pork by accumulating selenium in the muscle tissue and increasing the content of essential fatty acids in the speck and lipids of meat. Organic selenium is the most effective form of selenium. The property of selenium to be accumulated in the tissues and organs of animals allows the production of functional meat products saturated with this microelement.