INFLUENCE OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID ON EXPERIMENTAL ZINC DEFICIENCY IN RATS / 营养学报

ABSTRACT

Low zinc (1.4-1.5 ppm) ration containing saturated fat (coconut oil) was fed to weanling rats, death occurred since second week. In third week, total death was 55%. The survivors manifested severe Zn-deficiency symptoms. When they were given Zn supplement in drinking water (100 ppm Zn), the deficient symptoms disappeared quickly and body weights increased rapidly. When coconut oil was replaced by safflower oil, the rats didn't show any Zn-deficiency symptom in 4 weeks. There was no difference in Zn contents of plasma and hair between Zn-deficient rats and the normals. Adjusting fatty acids composition of dietary fat to contain linoleic acid at 20% of total fatty acids, the rats manifested Zn-deficient symptoms after 2 weeks, and Zn contents of plasma and hair were significantly lower than that of normal rats(P