title: Effect of phytase on zinc absorption from a millet-based porridge fed to young Burkinabe children.
abstract: Fortifying cereal staples with zinc is a strategy for increasing zinc intake in young children in developing countries. However, phytic acid (PA) naturally present in cereals strongly decreases zinc absorption. A stable-isotope zinc absorption study was conducted in young children to investigate the ability of the PA-degrading enzyme phytase to improve zinc absorption, when added to a cereal porridge immediately before consumption.
  
  
  
  Fractional absorption of zinc (FAZ) was estimated in 35 young healthy Burkinabe children using the double-isotopic tracer ratio method with67Zn as oral tracer and70Zn as intravenous tracer, in a crossover design. The test meals were: (a) a millet-based porridge containing 1.4 mg total zinc (native plus 1 mg added as ZnSO4) with a PA:Zn molar ratio of 7.7; (b) the same porridge with the enzyme phytase (20.5 phytase units (FTU)) added immediately before consumption. The exchangeable zinc pool (EZP) was determined as a potential measure of long-term zinc intake in 20 of the 35 children and compared with FAZ.
  
  
  
  Mean FAZ increased from 9.5±3.4 to 16.0±5.1% (P<0.0001), when phytase was added to the meal. The mean EZP was 3.6±0.5 mg/kg. There was no correlation between the EZP and FAZ values for either of the two test meals.
  
  
  
  Adding phytase immediately prior to consumption of a zinc-fortified cereal-based complementary food can improve zinc absorption in young children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brnić
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hurrell
authors.affiliation: Département Technologie Alimentaire (DTA), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Songré-Ouattara
authors.affiliation: Département Technologie Alimentaire (DTA), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diawara
authors.affiliation: Département Pédiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalmogho-Zan
authors.affiliation: Département Pédiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tapsoba
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeder
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wegmüller
mesh_terms: D010832:6-Phytase / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001682:Biological Availability; D002050:Burkina Faso; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000032:analysis*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D000066928:Millets; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015032:Zinc / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D010832:6-Phytase; D015032:Zinc