The Relationship of Dietary Calcium to Zinc Metabolism in Pigs

Abstract

The effect of various levels of dietary zinc and calcium upon zinc metabolism in weanling pigs was studied. Even though energy intake was equalized between treatments, supplemental zinc improved weight gains and feed efficiency, and prevented dermatosis in pigs fed high-calcium diets. High-calcium diets unsupplemented with zinc produced a significant drop in serum alkaline phosphatase. The increased specific activity of certain tissues and the greater proportion of fecal zinc derived from endogenous sources suggested a higher rate of zinc metabolism in pigs receiving high-calcium diets unsupplemented with zinc. Copyright © . .