Sunday Sep 28, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking selenium supplements may help reduce the hepatotoxicity induced by aflatoxin B1, which can cause liver cancer, according to a study conducted by scientists at Sichuan Agricultural University in Ya'an, Sichuan, P. R. China.

The study showed that male Avian boilers fed a diet with 0.3 mg of aflatoxin B1 per kg of diet decreased the weight of bursa of Fabricius and contents of serum immunoglobulin and increased the percentage of apoptotic bursal cells.

Supplementation with sodium selenite increased the weight of bursa of Fabricius and contents of serum of immunoglobulin and reduced histopathological lesions.  In addition, selenium reduced apoptotic bursal cells.

The study indicate "sodium selenite in diet can protect chicken from AFB 1 -induced impairment of humoral immune function by reducing bursal histopathological lesions and percentages of apoptotic bursal cells."

Aflatoxin B1 is a highly toxic mycotoxin found in grains and peanuts.  (David Liu, PHD)

Chen K, Fang J, Peng X, Cui H, Chen J, Wang F, Chen Z, Zuo Z, Deng J, Lai W, Zhou Y., Effect of selenium supplementation on aflatoxin B1-induced histopathological lesions and apoptosis in bursa of Fabricius in broilers.  Food Chem Toxicol. 2014 Sep 24. pii: S0278-6915(14)00404-9.