Form-specific selenium supplementation in poultry: linking bioefficacy to mechanisms and precision applications

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Trace Mineral Metabolism
• Poultry Physiology

Background:

• Poultry selenium supplementation is evolving from deficiency prevention to precision strategies.
• Bioefficacy of selenium (Se) varies significantly with its chemical form, exposure, and retention, impacting poultry health and product quality.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for optimizing Se use beyond basic nutritional requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the form-specific bioefficacy of selenium (Se) in poultry.
• To integrate mechanistic and application-level evidence for optimizing Se supplementation.
• To propose a precision framework aligning Se source and dose with production goals.

Main Methods:

• Literature review integrating form-specific bioefficacy, mechanistic data, and application-level evidence.
• Analysis of selenium retention kinetics and selenoprotein synthesis pathways.
• Evaluation of outcomes such as resilience, product quality, and biofortification.

Main Results:

• Inorganic Se salts support basal activity but offer limited reserves.
• Selenomethionine (SeMet) and related forms build protein-bound Se pools, enhancing resilience and product enrichment.
• Source-specific effects on Se delivery and redox control are critical; dose equivalence does not guarantee biological equivalence.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing poultry production requires a shift from total Se dose to form-specific bioefficacy.
• A goal-based precision framework is proposed to match Se source and dose with defined objectives.
• Future advancements depend on rigorous source characterization and layered monitoring for predictive Se use.