title: Selenium distribution in eggs of avian species.
abstract: We studied the effect of egg mass of eight different avian species on Se distribution between egg components and the effect of incubation on Se accumulation by chicken eggshell and shell membrane. Eight groups of birds received a diet without Se supplementation. Unfertile eggs were collected after 35 days of feeding; yolk, albumen, shell and shell membrane were assayed separately for Se. All avian species studied showed identical Se concentration in yolk-albumen complex equal to 38.7 microg Se/100 g, reflecting a linear correlation between yolk-albumen mass and Se content. Shells and shell membrane Se accumulation showed quadratic correlation with the appropriate mass thus explaining unusually high Se concentration in ostrich shell and shell membrane, that reached values 1785 and 1904 microg Se/kg respectively. Incubation of fertile eggs decreased eggshell Se content, the effect being more expressed in eggs from hens fed sodium selenite compared to organic Se utilization (Sel-Plex). It was concluded that shell might be an additional Se source for an embryo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Toxicology, Institute of Nutrition, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Ustinsky pr. 2/14, 109240 Moscow, Russia. segolubkina@mtu-net.ru
authors.forename: Nadezda A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Golubkina
authors.forename: Tigran T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Papazyan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis*; D012911:Snakes; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium; D018038:Sodium Selenite