Selenium and Heat Stress - Immunity and Performance

Pig health, welfare, and performance are adversely affected by heat stress. A decrease in feed intake, weight gain, and meat quality, along with an impact on the immune system, all cause huge economic losses for the industry. For this reason, we need to find ways to improve the pigs' immunity and performance. Selenium (Se) can help here. For pigs, Se plays an essential role in the immune system (Li et al., 2021). Se also defends against free radicals that cause cell membrane damage (Zhan et al., 2007).

Furthermore, the source of Se matters: a pure organic Se source, such as hydroxy-selenomethionine, is more readily metabolized by animals. This must be taken into consideration when choosing the source of Se. Pigs under heat stress require organic Se supplements to improve their immunity functions, which can benefit their health, performance, and meat quality.

References:

Li, S., Sun, W., Zhang, K., Zhu, J., Jia, X., Guo, X., ... & Zhang, J. (2021). Selenium deficiency induces spleen pathological changes in pigs by decreasing selenoprotein expression, evoking oxidative stress, and activating inflammation and apoptosis. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 12, 65.

Zhan, X., Wang, M., Zhao, R., Li, W., Xu, Z. (2007). Effects of different selenium source on selenium distribution, loin quality, and antioxidant status in finishing pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 132, 202-211.