Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Nutrition

A 38 days comparison study was carried out to investigate the impact of nano-selenium (the average particle size of NS was about 48.4 nm), that was physically prepared and characterized in the lab, to different commercial selenium sources (inorganic and organic) on the productive performance, immune status, seleno-proteins gene expression, mitochondrial activity, total antioxidant capacity, carcass traits, and selenium (Se) concentration in some tissues of broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day old unsexed Hubbard broiler chicks was randomly assigned into five equal groups each with 3 replicates. The experimental groups were as the following: the first group (G1) served as the control group supplemented with sodium selenite (commercial inorganic Se source, SS), the second (G2) and the third groups (G3) were supplemented with commercially available organic selenium sources (Se- enriched yeast, SEY and seleno-methionine, SM, respectively), whereas, the fourth (G4) and the fifth groups (G5) were supplemented with the prepared NS. All the groups were supplemented with dietary Se at the level of 0.3 mg of Se/kg of diet except for the G5 that was supplemented with the half dose of NS (0.15 mg of Se/kg of diet). The results revealed significant (P{u2264}0.05) positive effects of NS at the level of 0.3 mg Se/kg of diet (G4) on most of the productive performance parameters. Meanwhile, the results of antibody titers against Newcastle disease and Infectious Bronchitis viruses indicated that none of the dietary Se sources was able to boost significantly the humeral immune response

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