Selenium Biofortification of Milk from Lactating Dairy Cows Supplemented with Different Selenium Sources

• Grant number: 25/14960-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Arlindo Saran Netto
• Grantee: Bruna Laise de Noronha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/07131-0 - Biofortification of milk with selenium: effect on nutritional bioavailability and action on human health, AP.TEM

Abstract

The present project aims to evaluate the biofortification of milk using different dietary selenium sources provided to lactating dairy cows, and to investigate the resulting chemical forms of selenium in milk with a focus on implications for human nutrition and health. The experiment will involve 32 lactating dairy cows over a 12-week period, allocated to four treatments: Control diet (C); Control diet plus selenium-amino acid complex (SeAa); Control diet plus selenium-enriched yeast (SeY); and Control diet plus inorganic selenium (SeIn). The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo (FZEA/USP), Pirassununga, São Paulo, over 12 weeks. Milk samples will be collected for compositional analysis and selenium speciation, and blood samples will be collected for immunological and oxidative stress assays. It is hypothesized that biofortified milk will exhibit greater bioavailability and nutritional benefits compared to conventionally fortified products, potentially meeting recommended dietary selenium requirements. Currently, there is increasing demand for biofortified foods, yet limited research addresses their impacts on animal performance and human health. This Milk Biofortification Project is relevant as it aligns with public health policies, integrates animal science with applied human nutrition and medical research, encompasses the entire dairy production chain, and may provide scientific evidence supporting the development of more nutritious foods for human consumption.