Bioavailability, biodistribution, and toxicity of BioZn-AAS: A new zinc source. Comparative studies in rats

Food fortification with a proper zinc compound is an economic and effective strategy to prevent zinc deficiency. BioZn-AAS, a zinc gluconate stabilize d with glycine, was compared with zinc sulfate: (reference standard), zinc hydroxide, and zinc gluconate, all of them labeled with Zn-95: This preclin ical study was performed on Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes, and the admi nistered dose was 85 mu g/kg of zinc. Bioavailability studies showed that a bsorption of BioZn-AAS was not statistically different than absorption from other sources in female rats (25.65% +/- 2.20% fur BioZn-AAS, 28.24% +/- 4 .60% for ZnSO4, 2 1.91% +/- 4.02% for Zn[OH](2), and 25.51% +/- 2.70% for Z n-gluconate). In the case of the male rats, absorption of BioZn-AAS (27.97% +/- 4.20%) was higher (P<0.05) than that from the other compounds (23.15% +/- 2.90% for ZnSO4, 22.62% +/- 3.90% for Zn[OH](2), and 22.30% +/- 3.90% f or Zn-gluconate). Biodistribution studies demonstrated that the zinc from B ioZn-AAS followed the same metabolic pathway as zinc from the other sources . Toxicity studies were performed with 50 female and 50 male rats. The valu e of oral lethal dose 50 (LD50) was 2000 mg/kg for female rats and 1900 mg/ kg for male rats. Therefore, we conclude that BioZn-AAS has adequate proper ties to be considered a proper zinc compound for food fortification or diet ary supplementation. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 2000.