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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #99880
Title: SELENIUM CONTENT OF BEEF PRODUCED IN NORTH DAKOTA VARIES BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Author
item HINTZE, KORRY - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item Finley, John

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Evidence suggests that the selenium has many health benefits including enhanced immune function, cancer prevention and enhanced psychological function. Because beef provides a significant portion of human dietary selenium, it is of interest to determine factors affecting the selenium content of beef. Skeletal muscle and liver samples were taken from cows obtained from twenty-one different ranches in five distinct geographic regions throughout the state of North Dakota. Regions overlying geologic formations known to produce forages either high or low in selenium were picked as target areas. Selenium concentrations were determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy after acid digestion. Selenium in skeletal muscle and liver (mg/kg wet weight basis) of cattle: Region Central Northwest Southeast South-central Southwest n 8 21 14 20 29 Muscle 0.40+/-0.11 0.67+/-0.22 0.28+/-0.07 0.48+/-0.10 0.43+/-0.08 Liver 0.61+/-0.11 0.72+/-0.21 0.47+/-0.07 0.78+/-0.14 0.60+/-0.17 Values are means +/- SD Geographic region significantly affected muscle and liver selenium content (P <0.0001) and most areas produced beef higher in selenium than the United States average (0.22 mg/kg wet weight basis). These data show that cattle produced on land overlying seleniferous geologic formations have higher concentrations of selenium in muscle and liver than the national and state averages. However there was much variation, probably because of the localized nature of the high selenium concentrations. Further work is needed to show if animals high in selenium can consistently be produced from these areas.