Hair Concentration of Selenium in European Bison in Relation to Sex and Age, with Regard to Liver and Kidney Se Levels

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Hair Concentration of Selenium in European Bison in Relation to Sex and Age, with Regard to Liver and Kidney Se Levels e-ISSN 1734-9168 Folia Biologica (Kraków), vol. 67 (2019), No 3 http://www.isez.pan.krakow.pl/en/folia-biologica.html https://doi.org/10.3409/fb_67-3.10 Hair Concentration of Selenium in European Bison in Relation to Sex and Age, with Regard to Liver and Kidney Se Levels Tadeusz KOŒLA , Ewa Ma³gorzata SKIBNIEWSKA , Micha³ SKIBNIEWSKI , Marta Ma³gorzata KO£NIERZAK , Iwona LASOCKA , and Hubert KMIEÆ Accepted June 18, 2019 Published online August 16, 2019 Issue online September 30, 2019 Original article KOŒLA T., SKIBNIEWSKA E.M., SKIBNIEWSKI M., KO£NIERZAK M.M., LASOCKA I., KMIEÆ H. 2019. Hair concentration of selenium in European bison in relation to sex and age, with regard to liver and kidney Se levels. Folia Biologica (Kraków) 67: 99-108. The average selenium levels measured in the analyzed European bison individuals (N = 22) were as follows: 0.137±0.041SD ìg/g dry weight (DW), 0.175±0.032 and 1.004±0.239 ìg/g wet weight (WW) in hair, liver and kidneys, respectively. Broken down by sex, the average hair selenium concentration was 0.140±0.046 and 0.134±0.037 ìg/g DW in males and females, respectively. No significant differences in hair selenium content were found in relation to sex. As far as age is concerned, hair selenium content was 0.142±0.042 in calves; in the group of bison over 2 years of age, however, lower levels of selenium (0.126±0.040 ìg/g DW) were recorded. There were no significant differences between the age groups in terms of selenium content. Based on our research and current literature data, we could presume selenium deficiency in the studied animals. Key words: age, selenium, sex, hair, European bison. * Tadeusz KOŒLA, Ewa Ma³gorzata SKIBNIEWSKA, Marta Ma³gorzata KO£NIERZAK , Iwona LASOCKA, Hubert KMIEÆ, Department of Animal Environment Biology SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland. E-mail: [email protected] Micha³ SKIBNIEWSKI, Department of Morphological Sciences SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for all many strong antioxidSeptember 30, 2019ative en- living organisms. Although so important, sele- zymes. It protects tissues against free radicals; nium may be toxic to natural ecosystems due to its hence, organisms with a deficiency of this trace bioaccumulation potential (TAN et al. 2016). The element will be exposed to diseases ensuing oxida- mineral is found in nearly all rocks, soils, waters, tive stress, such as cancer, but also to heart dis- as well as in the atmosphere. Its distribution in the eases (OKOKO 2018). Earth’s crust, however, is uneven, with regions of selenium deficiency and areas showing locally ex- Since selenium compounds have anti-carcinogenic cessive concentrations of its compounds properties, we need non-invasive techniques to (SCHRAUZER 2004). As an essential nutrient, sele- monitor the levels of this element in the body. It nium participates in a number of physiological has been suggested that hair and nails are appropri- processes including the regulation and functioning ate biomarkers for Se status in the body (SALBE et al. of the immune system. 1993, JØRGENSEN 2000). CHRISTODOULOPOULOS Bound by selenoproteins, the element partici- et al. (2003) claim that the concentration of sele- pates in the regulation of oxidative stress, redox nium in the coat hairs of cattle is a good indicator mechanisms and other key cellular processes asso- that may reveal either deficiencies or toxic levels ciated with innate and adaptive immune responses of selenium in the body. Hair selenium level is (DALGAARD et al. 2018). Selenium is an antioxidant a good indicator of body selenium level, espe- whose activity is believed to be associated with cially in the long run. Ó Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, PAS, Kraków, 2019 Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) OPEN Ð ACCESS http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 100 T. KOŒLA et al. oxidative cell damage. Glutathione peroxidase son harvested in the Bia³owie¿a Forest during the catalyzes the decomposition of produced hydro- 2002/2003 winter season. Hair samples were taken gen peroxide and fatty peroxides. Selenium plays from the backs of 22 individuals, 11 males (m) and an important role in cell-mediated immunity 11 females (f), 14 of which were calves up to 1 year through the activity of glutathione peroxidase as in age (m = 8; f = 6) and 8 individuals at age of a biologically active component of leukocytes. 2 years or older (m = 3; f = 5). Soft tissue samples The element also directly affects large T lympho- of the liver (N = 10) and kidneys (N = 11) were col- cytes by producing lymphokines. In terms of hu- lected from parts of the same animals. There were moral immunity, selenium has an effect on the no means to collect soft tissue samples from all stimulation of specific antibacterial and antifungal subjects. The data on selenium content in the liver antibodies (KONDRACKI &BEDNAREK 1996). and kidneys were used only to compare the results The consequences of selenium deficiency in ani- to hair selenium levels, due to the small number of mals may involve muscle degeneration and diar- samples. Hair samples were cleaned from fat in rhea in young cattle, as well as an increase in 70% alcohol (a Soxhlet extractor), then washed in disseminated hepatic necrosis in beef cattle. In distilled water and rinsed three times in double- cows, a deficiency of selenium may lead to fetal distilled water. developmental abnormalities and death, retained Selenium analysis of the bison tissue samples placenta, and a general impairment of reproduc- was conducted in 2015. Selenium measurements tion abilities. In addition, the mineral has detoxifi- were carried out with fluorescence spectroscopy cation properties in relation to heavy metals according to GRZEBU£A and WITKOWSKI (1977). (KOŒLA 1999). The concentration was measured at wavelength The European bison Bison bonasus (L., 1758) is 518 nm, with excitation wavelength 376 nm, using a species saved by man from extinction in captivity the RF-5001 PC spectrofluorophotometer (Shi- and returned to its natural habitat. Although the madzu). The accuracy of the measurement proce- restitution of the European bison has been success- dure was verified against the level of selenium in ful (its population in Poland is growing and mor- the reference material NCS ZC 71001 (China Na- tality remains low), the species needs attention tional Analysis Center). Selenium concentrations (KRASIÑSKA &KRASIÑSKI 2004). Due to ob- measured against the certified reference material served instability, including a lack of natural selec- are shown in Table 1. The outcomes of the analysis tion and a high level of hybridization, the IUCN represented 92% of the reference value. (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Statistical calculations were performed using classifies the European bison as an endangered Statistica 12.0TM (StatSoft Inc) procedures. Given species (POLISH RED DATA BOOK OF ANIMALS 2001). the Shapiro-Wilk’s W test showed the sample Selenium has an especially meaningful impact population not to be normally distributed, non- on ruminant animals as selenoenzymes play an im- parametric analyses were used. To determine any portant role in reproductive processes and can af- significant difference, the U Mann-Whitney test fect population size. The aim of this study was to was performed (P#0.05). determine the selenium levels of selected tissues of the European bison and to relate them to the sex and age of the animals. Knowledge about selenium level in the hair and soft tissues of European bison Results is sparse. Further research is required to define the nutritional requirements of healthy bison. Table 2 reveals a similar selenium content of all three types of bison tissues. The average selenium level in hair was 0.137ìg/g DW, with an average Materials and Methods of 0.140 ìg/g DW and 0.134 ìg/g DW in males and females, respectively, revealing no statisti- The material consisted of samples collected cally significant difference in relation to sex (Ta- from clinically healthy, free-ranging European bi- ble 3). The average selenium level in soft tissues Table 1 Reference material Reference material: Certificate of Certified Reference Material NCS ZC 71001 Beef liver Certified concentration Measured concentration % of recovery Se 0.56 µg/g DW 0.516 µg/g DW 92% Concentration of Selenium in the Hair of European Bison 101 Table 2 Selenium in hair (ìg/g DW), liver and kidneys (ìg/g WW) of bison N mean"SD median min max lower quartile upper quartile hair 22 0.137"0.041 0.133 0.077 0.245 0.109 0.162 liver 10 0.175"0.032 0.161 0.142 0.226 0.148 0.214 kidneys 11 1.004"0.239 0.967 0.600 1.371 0.809 0.809 Table 3 Selenium content in bison hair according to sex (ìg/g DW) Sex N mean"SD median min max lower quartile upper quartile 11 male 0.140"0.046 0.132 0.091 0.245 0.109 0.162 (c=8; o=3) 11 female 0.134"0.037 0.138 0.077 0.191 0.103 0.169 (c=6; o=5) c = calves (up to 1 year old); o = older (over 2 years). was 0.175 and 1.004 ìg/g WW for liver and kid- measured in animal coat hair has been successfully neys respectively (Table 2). used as an indicator of either deficiency or a toxic The average selenium concentration in hair was level of the element in animals. Similar relation- 0.142 ìg/g DW in calves (up to 1 year of age), and ships were reported by CHRISTODOULOPOULOS et al.
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