Development and application of a selenium speciation method in cattle feed and beef samples using HPLC-ICP-MS: evaluating the selenium metabolic process in cattle

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for mammals with diet being the major source of intake. For this work cattle feed was enriched with combinations of selenium enriched yeast, canola oil, and/or vitamin E in order to evaluate the accumulation and metabolism of selenium in beef cattle. A method to identify and/or quantify the selenium species: selenocystine (SeCys(2)), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenomethionine-Se-oxide (SeOMet), and inorganic selenium species, selenate (Se(VI)) and selenite (Se(IV)), was developed and applied to cattle feed and beef samples.