Distribution of mercury and selenium in egg components and egg-white proteins

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-161-40573· OSTI ID:5260534

Magat, W; Sell, J L

Methylmercuric chloride (Hg) at 20 ppM and sodium selenite (Se) at 8 ppM were fed, separately and in combination, to laying hens. Oral doses of CH/sub 3//sup 203/HgCl and H/sub 2//sup 75/SeO/sub 3/ also were given to all hens. The concentration of /sup 203/Hg and /sup 75/Se in egg white and egg yolk, and the distribution of the radioisotopes among proteins of egg white, were determined. The highest concentrations of /sup 203/Hg were observed in egg white. The 8 ppM of dietary Se significantly increased the concentrations of /sup 203/Hg in egg white when compared with a diet containing no added Se. At the same time, the addition of Se to the diet reduced /sup 203/Hg in the egg yolk. /sup 75/Se was found primarily in egg yolk, but 20 ppM dietary Hg significantly decreased /sup 75/Se in the egg yolk and increased it in the egg whites. A significant Hg x Se interaction was observed for deposition of /sup 75/Se in egg white. When dietary Hg was fed separately from dietary Se, /sup 75/Se deposition was increased in the egg whites. More than 97% of the total /sup 203/Hg in egg white was associated with ovalbumin. Similarly, total Hg was found in greatest quantities in ovalbumin, irrespective of the addition of dietary Hg or Se. The largest proportion of total /sup 75/Se dose and the highest concentration of total Se per unit of protein occurred in globulin, especially when 8 ppM Se were fed. The data illustrate preferential binding of Hg by ovalbumin and of Se by globulin as compared with other major proteins of egg white.

• Research Organization: Iowa State Univ., Ames
• OSTI ID: 5260534
• Journal Information: Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.; (United States) Vol. 161:4; ISSN PSEBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201 -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIRDS
CARBOHYDRATES
CHICKENS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISTRIBUTION
EGGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOWL
GLOBULINS
GLUCOPROTEINS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
INGESTION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOLATED VALUES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MERCURY
MERCURY 203
MERCURY ISOTOPES
METABOLISM
METALS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OVALBUMIN
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
SACCHARIDES
SELENIUM
SELENIUM 75
SELENIUM ISOTOPES
SEMIMETALS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES