Effect of high protein diet on zinc deficiency in rats

摘要

The aim of this study was to examine whether a high protein diet promotes zinc deficiency in rats compared with an adequate protein diet. Rats were given free access to either a 20% protein (adequate protein) diet or a 40% protein (high protein) diet under a zinc-deficient condition (≦0.5 mg/kg Zn). There was no difference in the survival time of zinc-deficient rats fed either the 20% or the 40% protein diet. Similar results were also obtained for serum zinc enzyme activity, zinc concentrations of the serum and femur and zinc/protein ratio of zinc-deficient rats. The serum zinc enzyme activity, zinc concentration, and zinc/protein ratio of rats were analyzed as parameters of zinc status in the body similar to survival time. These results revealed that the zinc status of zinc-deficient rats fed the 20% or 40% protein diet did not differ. Moreover, the zinc status did not further deteriorate when zinc-deficient rats were switched from a 20% to a 40% protein diet.