Selenosis, hepatic selenium accumulation, and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity in chicks as affected by a...

Linseed meal has previously been reported to contain an organic factor that reduces toxicity of selenium in animals. The purpose of the studies reported here was to obtain information on the mechanism of action of the linseed meal factor in counteracting selenosis in chicks. Feeding a diet containing 20% linseed meal to chicks partially counteracted the growth depression caused by including high levels of selenium (10-40 ppm) in the diet. In contrast to the rat, chicks fed diets containing selenium did not accumulate significantly more of the element per unit of liver dry matter when the diet contained linseed meal, and at two selenium levels accumulated significantly less. Linseed meal did not interfere with the absorption of an oral dose of 75Se as measured by tissue retention 24 hours later. A methanol extract of linseed meal did not interfere with the normal increase in plasma glutathione peroxidase activity in chicks fed diets supplemented with low levels of selenium even though the extract counteracted the growth depression obtained by adding 20 ppm selenium. Linseed meal contains a factor that interacts with selenium in the tissues in some unknown way to reduce the toxic effects of the element, but does not prevent normal synthesis of glutathione peroxidase.