with asymptomatic zinc deficiency

Background: Zinc deficiency has been seen in developing countries in which grain-based vegetable protein is consumed more often than animal protein. This study was done to emphasize the importance of zinc-fortified foods and to investigate bioavailability of zinc in zinc-fortified bread.Methods: Serum zinc concentrations in healthy 7- to 11-year-old school children were determined. In 24 of 101 children serum zinc concentrations were below 65 mu g/dl. These 24 children with asymptomatic zinc deficiency were divided into two equal groups. The 12 children with low serum zinc concentrations received the zinc-fortified bread providing 2 mg/kg/day elemental zinc acetate for 90 days (zinc-supplemented group), whereas the other 12 children received the same quality bread with no zinc fortification (control group).Results: By the end of the period, the zinc-supplemented group had significantly higher serum and leukocyte zinc concentrations (p < 0.01) and the weight, serum albumin levels, and alkaline phosphatase increased (p < 0.01). Immune functions improved, evidenced by conversion of delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions. Zinc-fortified bread (2 mg/kg/day) caused no side effects or manifestations of zinc toxicity.Conclusions: The results indicate that the bioavailability of zinc in the bread is satisfactory. The use of zinc-fortified bread was found to be an economical and readily accessible method to eliminate zinc deficiency and to prevent further occurrence

An investigation on minerals, arabinoxylans and other fibres of biofortified hull-less barley fractions obtained by two milling systems

The aims of the present study were to compare arabinoxylan, glucomannan, arabinogalactan, dietary fibre and mineral contents of fibre rich and enriched-fibre rich fractions (FRF, E-FRF) obtained by two milling systems from biofortified (+) and non-biofortified (−) hull-less barley cultivar, Yalin and determine impact of biofortification (Zn, I, Se). Arabinoxylan contents and recoveries of FRF obtained by roller mill (FRFR) were 6.52% and 6.70%; 82.6% and 83.3% while those of FRF obtained by hammer mill (FRFH) were 7.36% and 7.24%; 73.9% and 73.5% for Yalin (−) and Yalin (+), respectively. Likewise, arabinoxylan contents and recoveries of E-FRFR were 11.91, 11.66%; 70.8% and 67.2% while those of E-FRFH were 11.70%, 12.13%; 61.3% and 64.9% for Yalin (−) and Yalin (+), respectively. Arabinogalactan contents of E-FRFR and E-FRFH were comparable (1.32–1.45%) for both Yalin samples. Their glucomannan contents were higher than arabinogalactan contents (1.79–1.90%). Furthermore, total dietary fibre contents of E-FRFR and E-FRFH were determined as 2.4–2.7 fold higher than their whole grain Yalin samples. Zinc, iodine, selenium contents (22 mg kg−1, 16 μg kg−1, 122 μg kg−1) of the whole grain of Yalin (−) increased through biofortification and milling and reached to 59 mg kg−1, 383 μg kg−1, 345 μg kg−1 in E-FRFR of Yalin (+), respectively