Development and Application of Selenium-Enriched Additives in Poultry Production

With the rapid advancement of modern commercial breeding technologies, the core production performance of poultry, especially broilers and laying hens, has been significantly improved. However, this genetic progress has also led to increased metabolic stress and a higher susceptibility to oxidative damage. Selenium (Se), as an essential trace element, plays a critical role in enhancing antioxidant capacity, immune function, and overall health in poultry. Traditional inorganic selenium sources such as sodium selenite are limited by low bioavailability and potential toxicity. In recent years, the development of novel selenium supplements—including organic selenium (e.g., selenomethionine, selenium-enriched yeast), nano-selenium, selenium-enriched microorganisms and insect-based selenium—has shown promising results in improving selenium deposition, antioxidant status, production performance, and product quality in poultry. Therefore, this paper is structured as a narrative review aiming to comprehensively summarize the application of different selenium sources in poultry nutrition. To ensure a robust synthesis of current evidence, literature searches were conducted in major databases such as PubMed and Web of Science covering publications up to 2026 The search strategy included combinations of keywords such as ‘selenium’, ‘poultry’, ‘laying hens’, ‘nano-selenium’, ‘selenium-enriched insects’, and ‘egg quality’. Articles were screened for their relevance to selenium metabolism, bioavailability, and physiological impacts on poultry. Evidence was interpreted according to the experimental model, with in vivo studies in poultry considered the primary evidence for poultry applications, while non-poultry in vivo studies, in vitro/cell-based studies, microbiological studies, and theoretical or mechanistic evidence were used primarily to contextualize biological mechanisms and identify knowledge gaps.