EFFICACY OF DIETARY ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION ON CATCH-UP GROWTH AFTER PROTEIN-MALNUTRITION

Young male rats were subjected to protein malnutrition for 21 days and then rehabilitated for 21 days with diets that varied in zinc content. The three levels of dietary zinc used during recovery were 12, 33, and 72 ppm. Compared with a baseline group, serum total protein, albumin, zinc, and tibia zinc were all significantly decreased during the period of malnutrition. During recover gamma the malnourished rats consumed less food but grew more than the age-matched control rats. Feed efficiency (weight gain/food intake) of the recovering rats was twice the rate of the controls. Dietary zinc in excess of 12 ppm did not significantly increase linear growth or lean tissue weights, but did increase serum total protein, albumin, zinc, and tibia zinc during recovery from protein malnutrition.