The effect of adding different levels of selenium-yeast supplement and selenium nanoparticles on the population of protozoa and rumen ammonia concentration of Baluchi fattening male lambs (native of Sistan)

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of selenium nanoparticles (SeNP) and selenium yeast (SY) on ruminal protozoan population and ammonia nitrogen of Baluchi male lambs. Thirty Baluchi lambs with an average initial body weight of 21.56±0.33 kg were used in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 6 repetitions for 70 days (14 days of adaptation and 56 days of data collection). The experimental groups were 1) control (without selenium supplement), 2), 3) and 4) were feeding with 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 mg Se/kg of diet as SY respectively, and 5) feeding with 0.4 mg Se/kg of diet as SeNP. The results showed that the number of protozoa in the ruminal fluid of lambs receiving 0.8 and 1.2 mg of Se/kg of diet as SY and 0.4 mg of Se/kg of diet as SeNP was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). In addition, both SY and SeNP sources significantly increased the number of Ophryoscolex species, while 0.4 mg of Se as SeNP resulted in a significant increase in Dasytricha species (P<0.05). Furthermore, dietary supplementation of 0.8 mg of Se as SY and 0.4 mg of Se as SeNP increased the number of Diplodinium species (P<0.05). However, the populations of Entodinium and Isotricha species were not affected by the experimental treatments. Feeding with 0.8 and 1.2 mg of Se as SY/kg of diet and 0.4 mg of Se as SeNP/kg of diet led to decreased ruminal ammonia nitrogen quantity (P<0.05). The results of this research indicated that dietary selenium supplementation as Nano selenium and selenium yeast, can increase the protozoa population and decrease the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the ruminal fluid of Baluchi fattening lambs.