Selenium content of chicken meat in Croatia

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Selenium is an essential trace element crucial for various physiological functions.
• Dietary intake of selenium is influenced by the consumption of animal products, including chicken meat.
• Variations in selenium content can occur based on factors like animal diet and tissue type.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare the selenium content in the liver and dark muscle of chicken meat.
• To assess the reliability of the analytical method used for selenium determination.

Main Methods:

• Chicken meat samples were sourced from three major Croatian producers.
• Wet digestion using a mixture of nitric and perchloric acids was performed.
• Selenium concentration was analyzed using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS).

Main Results:

• Mean selenium concentrations in liver samples were 1330 ± 20, 2000 ± 30, and 2090 ± 30 ng Se/g dry matter.
• Mean selenium concentrations in dark muscle samples were 560 ± 50, 520 ± 70, and 740 ± 50 ng Se/g dry matter.
• The HG-AAS method demonstrated high recovery rates (97.8–98.2%) and strong correlation (0.976) with a fluorimetric method.

Conclusions:

• Chicken liver exhibits significantly higher selenium concentrations compared to dark muscle.
• The analytical method employed is accurate and reliable for determining selenium content in chicken meat.
• Findings contribute to understanding the nutritional profile of chicken meat regarding selenium content.