Selenium status of sheep and their lambs in the Northern Serbian province of Vojvodina

The blood plasma concentrations of selenium and plasma and whole blood GSH-Px activities were determined in 30 sheep on three farms (A=Kać, B=Ečka and C=Čoka) in marginally deficient areas of Vojvodina. Selenium concentrations in feedstuffs from the territories surrounding the studied farms were lower than 0.10 ppm in more than 90% of the samples. Plasma selenium concentrations in sheep from farms A, B and C were 83.44 ± 19.09 μg/L; 183.90 ± 37.10 μg/L and 82.14±25.09 μg/L respectively. Plasma GSH-Px activity was the lowest on farm B (0.70 ± 0.37 μkat/L), nonsignificantly higher on farm A (0.81 ± 0.40 μkat/L) and highest on farm C (1.66 ± 0.88 μkat/L). Mean whole blood GSH-Px activities ranged between 194.38 μkat/L (farm C) and 236.51 μkat/L (farm B). On farm A the blood plasma concentrations of selenium and plasma and whole blood GSH-Px activities were determined also in suckling lambs in relation to their mothers. Plasma selenium content in lambs (50.58 ± 10.06 μg/L) was lower than in adult sheep at the same location. Both plasma (0.81 ± 0.40 μkat/L) and whole blood (424.21 ± 117.19 μkat/L) GSH-Px activities were significantly higher in lambs compared to their dams.