Effects of Selenium Supplementation on the Ion Homeostasis in the Reproductive Organs and Eggs of Laying Hens Fed With the Diet Contaminated With Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Chromium

Caimei Wu; L Li; Y X Jiang; Woo Kyun Kim; B Wu; G M Liu; Jianping Wang; Y Lin; K Y Zhang; J P Song; R N Zhang; F L Wu; K H Liang; Shiping Bai

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.902355

Effects of Selenium Supplementation on the Ion Homeostasis in the Reproductive Organs and Eggs of Laying Hens Fed With the Diet Contaminated With Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Chromium

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jun 10:9:902355. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.902355. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Caimei Wu¹, L Li¹, Y X Jiang¹, Woo Kyun Kim², B Wu³, G M Liu¹, Jianping Wang¹, Y Lin¹, K Y Zhang¹, J P Song¹, R N Zhang¹, F L Wu¹, K H Liang⁴, Shiping Bai¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition and Feedstuffs of China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
² Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
³ Chelota biotechnology CO., LTD, Deyang, China.
⁴ Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the toxic effects of different heavy metals in combination with their deposition and ion homeostasis in the reproductive organs and eggs of laying hens, as well as the alleviating action of selenized yeast. A total of 160 Lohmann pink-shell laying hens (63-week-old) were randomly allocated into four treatments with 10 replicates of four hens each. The four dietary treatments were the corn-soybean meal basal dietary (control; CON); the CON dietary supplemented with 0.4 mg/kg selenium from selenized yeast (Se); the CON dietary supplemented with 5 mg/kg Cd + 50 mg/kg Pb +3 mg/kg Hg + 5 mg/kg Cr (HEM), and the HEM dietary supplemented with 0.4 mg/kg selenium from selenized yeast (HEM+Se). The dietary HEM significantly increased Cd, Pb, and Hg deposition in the egg yolk and ovary, and Cd and Hg deposition in the oviduct and in the follicular wall (p < 0.05). The HEM elevated Fe concentration in the egg yolk, ovary, and oviduct (p < 0.05). The HEM decreased Mn concentration in the egg yolk, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations in the egg white, Cu concentration in the ovary, Mg concentration in the oviduct, as well as Ca, Cu, Zn, and Mg concentrations in the follicular walls (p < 0.05). Dietary Se addition elevated Se concentration in the egg yolk, oviduct, and follicular walls and Mg concentration (p < 0.05) in the oviduct, whereas it reduced Fe concentration in the oviduct compared with the HEM-treated hens. Some positive or negative correlations among these elements were observed. Canonical Correlation Analysis showed that the concentrations of Pb and Hg in the egg yolk were positively correlated with those in the ovary. The concentration of Cd in the egg white was positively correlated with that in the oviduct. In summary, dietary Cd, Pb, Hg, and Cr in combination caused ion loss and deposition of HEM in reproductive organs of laying hens. Dietary Se addition at 0.4 mg/kg from selenized yeast alleviated the negative effects of HEM on Fe and Mg ion disorder in the oviduct and follicle wall of hens.

Keywords: disorder; heavy metals; laying hens; selenium; trace elements.