Сельскохозяйственная биология, 2010, № 4, с. 90-96.

УДК 636.93:636.087.7:591.11

HEMATOLOGICAL INDICES IN YOUNG MINK AFTER ADDITION TO THEIR RATION OF PROMISING SELEBEN FOOD ADDITIVE

I.A. Yapparov

On three-month-old minks-males of the dark brown breed in scientific-practical experiment the author estimated the effect of developed selenium containing the seleben food additive on morphological and biochemical indices of animal’s blood.

Key words: minks, seleben, blood.

Selenium is one of the most deficient microelements affecting the activity of several redox enzymes, vitamins and the antioxidant defense system of an organism. Manifestations of selenium biological role and functions are extremely diverse and largely dependent on microelement supply of an animal. Selenium deficit causes chronic selenosis accompanied by metabolic disturbances and reduce of productivity (1, 2).

Selenium deficit has been established in soils and forages in many regions of Russian Federation (3).

To prevent selenium insufficiency in farm animals, there are preparations and food additives administered by various ways –intramuscular injections, per os granules, a solution, in composition of edible salt, yeast, premixed in fodder, etc. (8, 9). The main sources of selenium in feed are the artificially synthesized mineral and organic Se-containing substances. Sodium selenite is the mineral preparation widely used in animal husbandry, though, its overdoses cause toxic effects, so, applying this preparation requires carefully calculated dosage and a control by veterinary experts.

The bioavailability of many macro-and microelements increases in composition of organic compounds (4). In recent years, the preparations containing organically bound selenium compounds with less toxicity and other advantages (Sel-Plex 50, selenolin, E-selenium, selenopiran, etc.) are being actively developed and introduced into an industry production.  It has been shown a positive effect of Se-organic preparations on farm animals’ metabolism and productivity, as well as the higher biological value of resulting meat and meat products (5, 6).

The food additive Seleben has been developed in the department of Animal Husbandry of the Tatarstan Research and Development Institute of Agrochemistry and Soil Science of the RAAS (Kazan). Seleben contains diacetyl phenonyl selenide (DAPS) keeping 25% organically bound selenium (B.I. Drevko, 1998) and the natural mineral bentonite containing a wide range of micro- and macroelements. The unique advantages of Seleben are its bioavailability, the ability to satisfy animal’s needs in mineral substances and the opportunity of its use as a feed additive.

The purpose of this work was studying the effect of different Seleben doses on morphological and biochemical indices of blood in young minks as the organism dynamic response to the feed additive.

Technique. The objects of the experiment were 3-month-old males of mink the standard Dark Brown breed. The experiment was carried out in the fur farm JSC Agrofirma "Bersutskii” (Mamadysh region, the Republic of Tatarstan). Using the method of analogues (by age and sex), four groups (each one of 40 individuals) were formed.  Group I (control) were fed the basic diet (BD), II, III and IV – BD with Seleben daily added at doses of, respectively, 2, 3 and 5% (calculated relative the dry matter of mixed fodder). The diets were composed following the established norms of feeding minks according their live weight. The blood was collected from the tail vein into vacuteiners on the 1st and 60th days before feeding animals in the morning. Hemoglobin content, number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets in the blood were measured using the hemo-analyzer Hema-Screen (“Hospitex diagnostic”, Italy), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - on Panchenkov’s device. The blood films (smears) were stained by Romanovsky-Giemsa method, and the leukocyte formula parameters were determined using the laboratory counter C-5 M-stimul Plus (Russia). Biochemical analysis of blood serum was performed on the analyzer OLYMPUS (Japan) for in vitro diagnostics with automatic program of parameter calculation. Alkaline phosphatase activity was measured by kinetic colorimetric quantitative method, the content of inorganic phosphorus - by enzymatic UV-test, total calcium, total protein and protein fractions - by photometric colorimetric quantitative test.

The obtained data were analyzed by standard methods of variation statistics (Microsoft Excel 97 software) with calculation of Fischer’s coefficient of reliability and using Student's t-test.

Results. In the beginning of the experiment, the number of red blood cells was consistent with physiological norm (Table). After 60 days of feeding Seleben, the highest number of erythrocytes were observed in animals from groups II and III (respectively,  9,38 ± 0,98 and 8,58 ± 0,88 1012/l, which exceeded control by 13,8 and 4,1%) .The content of hemoglobin in young minks also corresponded the physiological norm (from 150,2 ± 11,3 to 156,3 ± 24,1 g/l), and the trend to its raise was observed by the end of experiment.

The number of platelets increased in all experimental groups by the end of the experiment (the highest levels - groups II and III: respectively, 290,6 ± 28,3 and 296,0 ± 14,4 109/l, which was 14,6 and 16, 7% higher than in control). Increasing the dose of Seleben to 5% (group IV) provided no significant effect on this parameter. At the same time, during the experiment, the number of platelets in all groups of animals was within the limits of physiological norm, as well as ESR and the number of leukocytes.

By the 60th day, ESR insignificantly decreased in group I (control), II and III compared with initial values. In group IV, ESR was somewhat higher than that in I, II and III, but these differences were unreliable. The number of leukocytes in all the animals showed a slight decline by the end of the experiment (within physiological norm), and by the 60th day it also decreased in groups III and IV compared with control. This fact indicates that feeding of Seleben feed additive causes no adverse impact on number of leukocytes, while its insignificant reduction in all minks during the 60-days experiment can be explained by age changes. These date agree with findings of V.A. Berestov (7) on significant variations of blood morphological characteristics depending on age of an animal.

On the 60th day, groups II and III demonstrated a slight increase in number of neutrophils compared with both control and initial levels. At the same time, group IV showed the significant increase in this parameter - 9,9% relative to control and by 13,2% compared with the beginning of experiment.

Leukocyte formula varied insignificantly depending on doses of Seleben in diets and period of the experiment. In all groups (I-IV), WBC levels remained within the limits of physiological norm, thus indicating a fairly high phagocytic activity and nonspecific resistance of an organism.

For biochemical parameters of blood serum in minks fed Seleben at doses of 2 and 3% (group II and III) during the 60-days experiment, the content of total protein increased relative the initial level by, respectively, 15,0 and 20,6%, compared with control - by 12,6 and 18,4% (See table). Group IV showed the increase in this parameter by 3,4% compared with control, while the smaller differences from groups II and III. The observed effects can be explained by the fact that animals in groups II, III and IV received a complete amounts of organic selenium and minerals with feed additive, which resulted in activation of physiological and biological processes.

The contents of α-1-, α-2-, β-albumins and γ-globulins were almost identical in all the animals (by the 60th day, group IV revealed just a positive trend to raise in concentration of albumin, group III - of β- and γ- globulins). The detected changes in composition of protein fraction depended on age, i.e. the inclusion of Seleben to animals' diets didn’t cause a negative influence on their metabolism.

The raise in activity of alkaline phosphatase in blood was found in both experiment and control by the 60th day, which corresponded to the period of intense growth and development of young animals. The value of this parameter depended on Seleben dosage and on age differences: in groups II, III and IV (respectively, 2, 3, and 5% Seleben in the diet), it increased by 1,9,  3,1 and 3,7% compared with control. Consequently, Seleben provided the apparent positive effect on methabolic processes intensity during the growth of young animals.

The content of total calcium in blood serum of minks was quite high and consistent with physiological norm for a species and age groups; this parameter wasn’t significantly distinct between groups. The greatest increase in concentration of inorganic phosphorus during the period of experiment was detected in groups II and III (respectively, 9,2 and 11,0% higher than in control). The raise of this value in these groups by the 60th day has led to a more pronounced normalization of the ratio calcium : phosphorus in animal organism: in group I, it was equal to 1,95:1, II - 1,73:1, III - 1, 71:1, and IV - 2,14:1. The raise in concentration of total calcium in all groups can be explained by the body requirements owing to growth and final formation of the skeleton. In general, the data on total calcium and inorganic phosphorus contents in blood of minks suggest the conclusion about a positive effect of feeding Seleben on mineral metabolism in animals.

Thus, the use of Seleben at doses of 2, 3, and 5% as a feed additive to a basic diet provided a positive influence on morphological and biochemical parameters of blood in minks. Feeding Seleben at a dose of 2 and 3% caused a tendency to increase in number of erythrocytes by 2,9-13,8%, hemoglobin - by 2,3-2,8%, the higher phagocytic activity,  the raise in concentrations of total protein in blood serum by 12,5-18,4%, b-globulin - by 10,1-34,6%, g-globulin - by 14,4-20,1% and inorganic phosphorus by 9,2-11,0% compared with corresponding levels in control animals fed a basic diet without the additive.

Л И Т Е Р А Т У Р А

1. Retskii M.I., Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant System of the Blood of Cattle in their Ontogeny, in: Mat. 1-j Mezhd. nauch.-prakt. konf. “Veterinarnye i zooinzhenernye problemy zhivotnovodstva” (Proc., I Int.  Sci.-Pract. Congress “Veterinary and Zootechnical Issues of Animal Husbandry”), Vitebsk, 1996, p. 63.
2. Minina L.A., Profilaktika boleznei selenovoi nedostatochnosti u kur Chitinskoi oblasti: Metod. rekom. (Methodological Recommendations: Prophylaxis of Selenium Deficiency Diseases in Chicken of the Chita Province), Novosibirsk, 1983.
3. Georgievskii V.I., Anenkov P.N. and Samokhin V.T., Mineral’noye pitaniye zhivotnykh (Mineral Supplementation of Animals), Moscow, 1979, pp. 102-104.
4. Kalnitskii B.D., Diseases Related to Selenium Deficiency and their Prevention, S.-kh. za rubezhom, 1980, no. 4, pp. 50-53.
5. Boryaev G.I., Fedorov Yu.N., Kuznetsov A.A. and Starostina N.S., Indicators of Pork Quality at the Introduction into a Diet of the Biologically Active Preparation Selenopiran, S.-kh. biol., 2008, no. 4, pp. 96-100.
6. Starkov M.V., Merzlyakova E.A. and Troshina T.A., The Influence of the Parenterally Administered Selenium-Organic Preparation on Histological, Some Morphological and Biochemical Parameters of the Blood in Calves, Veterinarny vrach, 2007, no. 4, pp. 45-47.
7. Berestov V.A. Zverovodstvo (Fur Farming), St.Petersburg, 2002.
8. Kessler J., Carence en Selenium cher les Ruminants: Mesures Prophylactivues, Revue Suisse Agric., 1993, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 21-26.
9. McDowell L.M., Selenium Nutrition in Latin America, Proc. of Alltechs. Thirteenth Ann. Symp. “Biotechnology in the feed industry”, Nottingham, 1997, pp. 408-417.