Determination of relative bioavailability of zinc in a petit suisse cheese using weight gain and bone zinc content in rats as markers

The aim of the study was to determine the relative bioavailability of zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine in a Petit Suisse cheese from an infant dessert. Weight gain and bone zinc content were the nutritional responses evaluated for the diets of different zinc content: 2 ppm (basal) and 5, 10, and 30 ppm from zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine and zinc sulfate. Nonlinear regression analysis of the fitted curves for weight gain determined a relative zinc bioavailability of 100% for the Ymax ratio and 96% for Ymax/t1/2 ratio for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine (R2=0.7996 for zinc sulfate and 0.8665 for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine). The slope ratio analysis from linear regression of femur zinc determined a relative zinc bioavailability of 93% for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine (R2=0.8693 for zinc sulfate and 0.8307 for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine). Zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine has similar bioavailability as zinc sulfate in a Petit Suisse cheese nutritional matrix, with the advantage that the stabilized compound does not modify the sensorial characteristics of the fortified cheese.