www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 59.90.187.108 on dated 9-Jun-2015 Indian J. Poult. Sci. (2000) 35(1): 66 - 69; Research Article Effect of supplementation of combinations of different levels of selenium and vitamin E on relative weight of some organs and serum enzyme level in broilers B.K. S.WAIN* AND T.S. JOHRI Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar - 122 (U.p.) Received: November 24, 1999 Accepted: January 22, 2000 ABSTRACT The effect of graded levels of selenium and vitamin E on relative weight of some organs and semm enzyme level was studied on 252 broiler chicks. A 4x3 factorial arrangement of treatments involving four selenium (0, 0.10, 0.50 and 1.00 mglkg diet) and three vitamins E (0,150 and 300 illlkg diet) levels were used. Significant (p<0.05) increase in relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius was observed at a level of 0.1 0 mg of selenium and 150 ill of vitamin E per Kilogram of diet. The interaction effect of vitamin E and selenium was significant. However, the relative weights of spleen, thymus and liver were not affected by dietary supplemental vitamin E and selenium. Progressive decrease in glutamic oxloacetic transaminase (GO]) was observed gradual increase in the level of selenium. Significantly higher GOT values were observed in chicks fed without supplemental vitamin E and selenium. It is suggested that for maintenance of normal structure and tonicity of muscle higher levels of selenium and vitamin E may be required. The increased of bursa of Fabricius may be due to its role in the immune function. Contains: 3 tables Key words: Selenium, vitamin E, organ weights serum enzyme, broilers Administration of vitamin E increased the phagocytic activity of reticuloendothelial cells (RES) with increase in the weight of spleen (Tengerdy et al., 1973) and the number of antibody producing cells within this organ (Tengerdy and Heinzerling, 1972). It has been reported by earlier workers that chicks fed diet deficient in vitamin E showed impaired bursal growth whereas stunted growth oftpymus pertained to deficiency of both,selenium and vitamin E (Marsh et al., 1986). However, mice with selenium deficiency did not show impaired thymic growth (Mulhern et al., 1985). Deficiency of vitamin E and selemum in chicks caused depression in bursal weight and total number of lymphocytes in primary lymphoid organs and spleen (Marsh et al., 1982). Slight increase in serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) activity has been observed in chicks fed ration deficient in selenium and vitaminE, whereas substantial increase in the same (GOT) was achieved only when the diet is made dystrophy producing by lowering its methionine content (Walter and Jensen, 1964). Studies conducted by • Scientist, ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Ela Old, Goa-403402 Laferte et al. (1963) indicated no association between serum GOT levels and experimentally induced muscular dystrophy in rabbits or heriditary dystrophy in mice. The later report thus conflicts with the theory that elevated serum GOT levels results from the leakage of the enzyme from the damaged muscle cell in to the blood. The possibility exists that the increase in serum GOT is related to simultaneous deficiency in vitamin E and selenium independent of incidence of dystrophy. Therefore, this study was undertaken to see the effect of supplementation of graded level of seleniu.n and vitamin E on the relative weight of some organs and serum GOT activity in broilers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred and fifty two broilers chicks were obtained from local hatchery and maintained in brooding/rearing pens. Chicks had free access to water and experimental diets formulated with 4 levels of supplemental selenium (0, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00 mglkg diet from sodium selenite) and 3 levels of vitamin E(O, 150 and 300 mglkg diet from tocopheryl acetate) to basal diet (Table 1) containing selenium 0.06 mglKgandvitaminE 16.14 lUI