Studies on the phytate: zinc molar contents in diets as a determinant of Zn availability to young rats.

1. Studies were carried out in vitro to examine the effects of phytate on the solubility of the trace elements zinc, copper and manganese. Appropriate volumes of a solution of sodium phytate were added to a mineral solution to achieve phytate: Zn values of from 0 : 1 to 45 : 1. In a second series the same values for phytate: Zn were achieved by varying the amount of added Zn at a fixed phytate concentration. 2. In both experiments greater than 85% of the Zn was rendered insoluble at pH 6.5 even at the lowest value for phytate: Zn (5 : 1). The effect of phytate on Zn solubility was greater than effects on Cu or Mn. 3. In a dietary study, rats were offered a semi-synthetic egg-albumin-based diet with added phytate. Two series of diets were prepared, the first had a constant Zn content (18.5 mg Zn/kg) and the amount of sodium phytate varied so as to achieve values for phytate: Zn of from 0 : 1 to 40 : 1 (series 1). In the second series, the same values for phytate: Zn were achieved by adding a fixed amount of phytate (7.4 g phytic acid/kg) while the amount of Zn was varied (series 2). 4. Dietary phytate caused significant reductions in growth rates, plasma Zn concentrations and hair Zn concentrations and greying of the coat at values for phytate: Zn of 15 : 1, 10 : 1, 15 : 1 and 15 : 1, respectively. 5. While phytate was apparently slightly more effective in reducing Zn status when phytate: Zn values were achieved at the lower absolute levels of phytate and zn (series 1 diets), the differences at equivalent phytate: Zn values were small. It was concluded that phytate: Zn values can be used as an indicator of Zn availability from phytate-rich diets. 6. Rats offered three diets containing soya-bean-based textured-vegetable-protein (TVP) exhibited low rates of weight gain compared with rats offered an egg-albumen-based diet of similar Zn content (14.5 mg Zn/kg). Additional Zn supplied in drinking-water (25 mg Zn//l) was without effect on rats consuming the egg-albumin diet but significantly improved the weight gain of rats on the TVP diets. 7. It was concluded that phytate naturally present in TVP behaves similarly to phytate added to an otherwise phytate-free diet and that the reduced availability of Zn in TVP diets can be accounted for entirely by their phytate contents.