Iranian Flat Breads: Relative Bioavailability of Zinc

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of flour extraction rate, type and length of fermentation and baking conditions on relative bioavailability of zinc of five distinctly different Iranian flat breads and their unfermented doughs, was determined using weanling rats fed low (5.5 ppm) levels of dietary zinc. When breads rather than unfermented doughs were used for preparation of diets, with one exception, bioavailability of Zn significantly (P < 0.05) improved. Rats on the barbari‐bread‐based diet showed the highest weight gain and femur zinc content. There was no significant difference in weight gain among rats on dough‐based diets. High correlation of weight gain and femur zinc with feed intake and low or no correlation with fiber or Zn:phytate molar ratio of the diets was observed.