Effect of soil ingestion on the storage of Se, vitamin B 12 , Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, and Zn in the liver of sheep fed lucerne pellets

The effect of ingesting 100 g/day of two yellow‐brown/yellow‐grey earth soils on the storage of selenium (Se), vitamin B 12 , copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in the liver of sheep was studied in 32 wether lambs fed lucerne pellets. Both soils significantly increased plasma and liver concentrations of Se. Soil B which had the highest cobalt (Co) concentration (1.8 versus 1.32 ug/g DM) significantly increased the liver vitamin B 12 concentration. The soils did not affect the concentrations of Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn in the liver. An increase in liver Cd concentrations occurred during the study but this was not related to the soil treatments. Soil ingestion increased in the 30 000 xg supernatant fractions Fe concentrations in all digesta, Mn and Se concentrations in the abomasal digesta, Se and Zn concentrations in the reticu‐lorumen, and decreased Cu concentrations in the abomasal digesta. Depending on the amounts ingested, the yellow‐brown/yellow‐grey earth soils could be a source of Se and Co to grazing sheep.