Supplemental phytic acid and microbial phytase change zinc bioavailability and cadmium accumulation in growing rats

Three groups of individually housed albino rats (n = 6 each, initial average weight = 47 g) were fed diets based on egg white and corn starch over a 4-week period. All diets were supplemented with 15 mg/kg of Zn and 5 mg/kg of Cd. Group I (Control) was fed the basal diet free of phytic acid (PA) and phytase. By replacing corn starch by 0.5% PA (as NaPA) in groups II and III, a molar PA/Zn ratio of 33 was obtained. In group III, 2000 U of microbial phytase per kg diet were added. Addition of PA to diet (group II) resulted in a significant decrease in growth and zinc status. The negative effect of dietary PA on growth and zinc status was considerably counteracted by the supplementation of 2000 U microbial phytase (group III). In group I the highest apparent zinc absorption (58.2%) was measured. The addition of 0.5% PA (group II) significantly decreased apparent zinc absorption to 23.4%. In rats receiving the phytase-enriched diet (group III) 46.5% of ingested zinc was apparently absorbed. Liver cadmium concentration in rats fed the diet containing PA was significantly higher than that in the control group, whereas phytase supplementation lowered liver cadmium accumulation. In tendency similar effects were obtained for kidney cadmium accumulation.