Table 1.

A summary of selected studies describing the combined effects of maternal plane of nutrition and selenium status on progeny.

Animal Model	Study Design	Key Findings as Reported by Authors	Reference
Broiler breeders/broilers	Low (0.1 mg/kg) or High (0.5 mg/kg) selenium (Se) status (Se yeast) and soyabean oil and low or high (0.5 mg/kg) Se status and fish oil and progeny fed high or low (20% less energy and protein) diets with similar Se content	Broilers fed for two weeks posthatch a diet with similar Se content but hatched from parents fed high-Se diets had higher tissue Se concentrations than those hatched from parents fed diets low in Se Supplementation of the maternal diet of chicks with organo Se compounds enhanced the concentration of docosahexaenoic acid in the brain of progeny	[10]
Broiler breeders/broilers	Vitamin E at two levels (30, 120 mg/kg) and two sources of Se (Sodium selenite or Zinc-L-SeMet) at 0.4 mg/kg	Inclusion of organic selenium in breeders diet led to heavier hatchling weight until egg production peak (33 wk) Hatchability of the eggs from 29 wk old breeders fed 120 mg vitamin E/kg feed was higher than that of breeders fed 30 mg vitamin E	[40]
Ewes/lambs	Adequate (9.5 μg/kg body weight (BW)) or High (81.8 μg/kg BW) and nutritional status 60% of metabolisable energy requirements (Restricted), 100% (Control), and 140% (High)	Female lambs from high Se ewes were heavier at birth Maternal Se intake can enhance fat deposition in female offspring Nutritional intake × Se status interaction on growth rate of lambs and insulin response on a glucose tolerance test; thus, both maternal nutritional level and Se intake can influence insulin sensitivity	[37]
Ewes/lambs	Adequate (9.5 μg/kg BW) or High (81.8 μg/kg BW) and nutritional status 60% of metabolisable energy requirements (Restricted), 100% (Control), and 140% (High)	High maternal Se led to greater jejunal capillary area density in the offspring	[42]
Ewes/lambs	Adequate (9.5 μg/kg BW) or High (81.8 μg/kg BW) and nutritional status 60% of metabolisable energy requirements (Restricted), 100% (Control), and 140% (High)	Colostrum and milk yield greater in high- vs. adequate-Se-fed ewes	[43]
Ewes/lambs	Adequate (9.5 μg/kg BW) or High (81.8 μg/kg BW) and nutritional status 60% of metabolisable energy requirements (Restricted), 100% (Control), and 140% (High)	Progeny from high-Se ewes had greater capillary surface density compared with those from adequate group	[44]
Sows/piglets	0.042 mg/kg or 0.3 mg/kg as sodium selenite or selenomethionine	Maternal selenomethionine vs. inorganic Se significantly increased the weaning litter weight and average weight of piglets	[39]
Dam rats/pups	0.01 mg Se/kg diet (deficient-low), 0.1 mg /kg, and 0.5 mg Se/kg diet (supplemented-high)	Pups born from mothers fed excess Se exhibited insulin resistance	[50]