Effect of Selenium and alpha-Tocopherol on the Antioxidant Defense System of Goat Erythrocytes and the Hemic System

ABSTRACT The effect of sodium selenite, alpha-tocopherol, and their combination was studied in the hemic system of goat. Incubation of goat blood with selenium and vitamin E for 24 h resulted in a decrease in hemoglobin concentrations in Se-and vitamin E-treated groups, whereas no change in the osmotic fragility was observed. In plasma the levels of albumin did not show any significant change in all the treatment groups. The acute phase protein (total protein) was found to be increased in the group treated with Se at a concentration of 10 mug, and ceruloplasmin in the plasma was significantly increased in the group supplemented with Se at a concentration of 20 mug. The catalase was found to be increased in both the Se treatment groups and the group that received vitamin E at a concentration of 10 mug. However, the effects on lipid peroxidation, acetylcholinesterase, and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase are not significant. The sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) pattern of the proteins did not show any alteration. Also, no effect was observed in the membrane permeability and physicochemical alteration of erythrocytes in the presence of Se and vitamin E.