Epidemiological Assessment of Environmental and Nutritional Determinants of Selenium Status and Serum Muscle Enzyme Activities in Lambs from Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya

• Radya A. A. Mustufa

  Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

• Najwa A. I. Abdulsalam

  Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

• Ahmad A. A Saad

  Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

• Najeeb M. Abdulmawli

  Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

• Nawara M. B. Eissa

  Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

• Akraiem A

  Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

  Author

Selenium is an essential trace element involved in several biological functions, particularly antioxidant defense, immune response, growth, reproduction, and muscle integrity. Selenium deficiency in young ruminants is commonly associated with nutritional muscular disorders, including white muscle disease. This epidemiological study was conducted to evaluate environmental and nutritional determinants of selenium status and their association with serum muscle enzyme activities in lambs from Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. Soil selenium concentrations from the mountainous and South Mountain areas, as well as selenium concentrations in national and imported barley used as a major dietary source, were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Serum creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were measured in 100 apparently healthy local lambs using a Roche Cobas C311 analyzer. The selenium concentration in soil was higher in the South Mountain area (15.979 ppm) than in the mountainous area (0.302 ppm). Imported barley showed a higher selenium concentration (7.28 ppm) than national barley (5.529 ppm). Serum AST activity remained within the normal reference range across selenium-status groups. In contrast, CK activity was higher than the normal reference value in all selenium-status groups; however, no statistically significant differences were detected among low, marginal, and adequate selenium groups. These findings indicate marked environmental and nutritional variation in selenium exposure within the study area. The elevation of CK activity may reflect subclinical muscle stress or non-specific muscle damage rather than selenium deficiency alone. Further studies with larger sample size, replicated soil and feed sampling, and integrated assessment of selenium bioavailability are recommended to clarify the epidemiological relationship between environmental selenium, dietary intake, and lamb health in this region.

Keywords: Selenium; Epidemiology; Lambs; Soil; Barley; Creatine kinase; Aspartate aminotransferase; Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar; Libya.

1. Radya A. A. Mustufa, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   ¹ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

2. Najwa A. I. Abdulsalam, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

3. Ahmad A. A Saad, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   Epidemiological Assessment of Environmental and Nutritional Determinants of Selenium Status and Serum Muscle Enzyme Activities in Lambs from Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya

4. Najeeb M. Abdulmawli, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya. 

5. Nawara M. B. Eissa, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya. 

6. Akraiem A, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya.

   vDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-Bayda, Libya. 

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The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Copyright (c) 2026 Radya A. A. Mustufa, Najwa A. I. Abdulsalam, Ahmad A. Saad, Najeeb M. Abdulmawli, Nawara M. B. Eissa, Akraiem A (Author)

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