Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Revue de Medecine Veterinaire, cilt.159, sa.12, ss.628-633, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
The objective of this study was to evaluate embryonic and fetal growth by ultrasonographic measurements in pregnant Akkaraman ewes fed a maintained diet either given or not given supplemental selenium (Se) and vitamin E (vit E). Thirteen pregnant ewes were allotted to two groups, a group of 5 ewes supplemented with Se and vit E and a group of 8 ewes not supplemented. The supplemented group received barley plus straw and 0,1 ppm Se per kg -15 IU vitE per kg DM from 9 months prior to breeding season until 40 day after parturition. The other group was fed with the same protocol without Se and vit E supplementation. The different structures of ovine fetuses were measured by ultrasonography from day 15 until day 130 of gestation. Suitable regression models were used for each group at the advanced pregnancy, through taking the biparietal diameter (BPD), diameters of orbita, stomach, heart, trunkus, abdomen, femur, humerus, radius-ulna, tibia-fibula and countable caruncle and relationship between the period of pregnancy and fetal growth. The mean serum Se levels of Se and vit E unsupplemented and supplemented groups were 120.6 ng per ml (SE 3.7) and 211.3 ng per ml (SE 11.5), respectively. BPD, diameters of fetal heart, abdomen, trunk, stomach, orbit diameter, the length of extremites and caruncle measurements were not affected by maternal serum Se level. All ultrasonographic measurements in both groups exhibited linear or exponential increase as corraleted with the advancement of pregnancy. The results obtained from this study indicated that maternal serum Se concentration from 112.9 ng per ml to 235.1 ng per ml during pregnancy had neither negative nor positive effect on embryonic and fetal growth.