PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Effects of dietary phytase on body weight gain, body composition and bone strength in growing rats fed a low-zinc diet

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, ISSN: 0955-2863, Vol: 17, Issue: 3, Page: 190-196
2006
  • 29
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 25
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

Article Description

Phytic acid, a major phosphorous storage compound found in foodstuffs, is known to form insoluble complexes with nutritionally essential minerals, including zinc (Zn). Phytases are enzymes that catalyze the removal of these minerals from phytic acid, improving their bioavailability. The objective of the present study was to determine the ability of dietary phytase to affect body weight, body composition, and bone strength in growing rats fed a high phytic acid, low Zn diet. Rats (n = 20) were fed either a control (AIN-93) or phytase supplemented (Natuphos, BASF, 1,500 phytase units (FTU)/kg) diet for a period of 8 weeks. Phytase supplementation resulted in increased ( P <.05) bone and plasma Zn, but no change in plasma inorganic phosphorous or bone levels of Ca, Fe, or Mg. The addition of phytase to the diets resulted in a 22.4% increase ( P <.05) in body weight at the end of the study as compared with rats fed a control diet. Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) revealed that phytase supplementation resulted in increase lean body mass (LBM, P <.001) and increased bone mineral content (BMC, P <.001) as compared with feeding the control diet. Bone studies indicated that femurs and tibias from phytase supplemented rats had greater mass ( P <.05) and were stronger ( P <.05) than rats fed the control diet. This data suggest that the addition of phytase to low Zn diets results in improved Zn status, which may be responsible for beneficial effects on growth, body composition, and bone strength.

Bibliographic Details

McClung, James P; Stahl, Chad H; Marchitelli, Louis J; Morales-Martinez, Nelson; Mackin, Katherine M; Young, Andrew J; Scrimgeour, Angus G

Elsevier BV

Medicine; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Nursing

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know