Track 2-1-2: Forage Conservation, Value Addition and Balanced Nutrition

Description

Selenium (Se) is a trace element essential for normal cellular function, which has been linked with reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and thyroid disease in humans. Se deficiency in livestock is associated with white muscle disease, retained placenta, ill-thrift and mastitis. Where Se status or bioavailability from the soil for plants is poor, livestock rely on supplemental Se in their diets either as sodium selenite (inorganic form) or seleno-yeast (organic form). As lactic acid bacteria have been shown to incorporate Se as either organic or elemental (Nano-Se) (Eszenyi et al., 2011) there may be potential to use silage inoculant bacteria to improve the Se status of feed to provide Se requirements to livestock. In a previous study (Fleming et al., 2015) LAB isolates were screened for their ability to convert inorganic sodium selenite into Nano-Se and organic-Se (predominately Selenocysteine). Based on this ability and reduced retardation on growth properties when the Se was added, three LAB were selected for the current study to determine their potential as silage inoculants to increase bioavailable forms of Se (Nano and organic) in silage.

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Selenium Enrichment of Laboratory Scale Silos Using Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculum

Selenium (Se) is a trace element essential for normal cellular function, which has been linked with reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and thyroid disease in humans. Se deficiency in livestock is associated with white muscle disease, retained placenta, ill-thrift and mastitis. Where Se status or bioavailability from the soil for plants is poor, livestock rely on supplemental Se in their diets either as sodium selenite (inorganic form) or seleno-yeast (organic form). As lactic acid bacteria have been shown to incorporate Se as either organic or elemental (Nano-Se) (Eszenyi et al., 2011) there may be potential to use silage inoculant bacteria to improve the Se status of feed to provide Se requirements to livestock. In a previous study (Fleming et al., 2015) LAB isolates were screened for their ability to convert inorganic sodium selenite into Nano-Se and organic-Se (predominately Selenocysteine). Based on this ability and reduced retardation on growth properties when the Se was added, three LAB were selected for the current study to determine their potential as silage inoculants to increase bioavailable forms of Se (Nano and organic) in silage.