Effects of Dietary Selenium, Vitamin E, and Their Combination on Growth, Serum Metabolites, and Antioxidant Defense System in Skeletal Muscle of Broilers Under Heat Stress

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin E, selenium (Se), and a combination of the two, on the performance, serum metabolites and oxidative stability of skeletal muscle of broilers during heat stress. The broilers raised in either a thermoneutral (23.9°C constant) or heat stress (23.9°C to 37°C cycling) environment were assigned to 6 dietary treatments (0, 0.5, or 1 mg/kg Se; 125 and 250 mg/kg vitamin E; or 0.5 mg/kg Se plus 125 mg/kg vitamin E) from 1 to 49 days of age. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from chicks, the chicks sacrificed, and pectoralis superficialis muscle was used for measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The heat-stressed chicks consumed less feed, gained less weight, and had higher feed conversion ratio when compared to thermoneutral chicks (P < 0.05). Serum concentrations of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were decreased by heat stress (P < 0.05), whereas the serum concentrations of copper (Cu), glucose, and uric acid were significantly increased under heat stress (P < 0.05). The chicks that received supplemental of vitamin E exhibited significantly higher serum concentrations of Zn (P < 0.05) and significantly lower concentrations of Cu, glucose, and uric acid (P < 0.05) when exposed to heat stress. Dietary Se also caused a significant decrease in serum glucose, uric acid, and Cu concentrations of heat-stressed broilers (P < 0.05), but had no significant effect on Zn concentration (P > 0.05). The GPx activity remained relatively constant (P > 0.05), though SOD activity and MDA levels in skeletal muscle were enhanced on exposure to heat stress (P < 0.05). The heat-stressed chicks that received the combined supplementary level of vitamin E and Se had the lowest concentration of MDA and the highest activity of SOD in the skeletal muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary Se also caused a significant increase in enzyme activity of GPx in the skeletal muscle (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the derangement of blood parameters and oxidative stability in broilers under heat stress are improved by supplemental vitamin E and Se.