Dietary zinc supplements do not enhance catch-up growth of rats during recovery from protein-zinc malnutrition when the diets are based on either isolated soybean protein or casein

Stephen R. Glore, Victoria L. Orth, Barbara J. Stoecker, Allen W. Knehans, John W. Erdman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Young male rats were fed a low-protein (LP) diet (3% albumin) with 9 ug Zn/g diet for 21 d which halted the growth process. Relative to baseline values (d O), the LP diet resulted in decreases of 19%, 47%, and 13% in serum albumin, serum zinc, and tibia zinc, respectively. Control rats were fed a balanced diet containing 15% albumin and 12 ug Zn/g for the same 21 d. The major objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of dietary zinc at and above the normal requirement (12 ug/g) to support catch-up growth after severe malnutrition. Following the 21 d LP or C periods, rats were fed for another 21 d with diets containing either 20% isolated soybean protein or 20% casein and supplemented with 1 of 3 levels of zinc ranging from 12 ug/g to 45 ug/g; a 2×2×3 factorial design was used. The rats recovering from protein malnutrition gained weight faster than the controls, but after 21 d the catch-up growth was still incomplete. Soybean protein, compared to casein, significantly depressed recovery of body weight, body length, and serum albumin. Dietary zinc supplementation of 36 ug/g was sufficient to replete both serum and tibia zinc but did not significantly improve catch-up growth in any of the tisues measured.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1025-1037
Number of pages13
JournalNutrition Research
Volume13
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1993

Keywords

  • Dietary zinc
  • Malnutrition
  • Rehabilitation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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