A Comparison of the Metabolic Effects of Zinc-Amino Acid (ZnAA) Versus Zinc Gluconate

Status unconfirmed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Response of Fatty Acid Desaturation to Zinc Intake

In brief

Food consumption affects zinc metabolism within the body. Lowe and colleagues demonstrated that zinc is directed out of plasma and into tissues, such as into the liver, postprandially . It is likely that zinc absorbed with a meal is directed to the liver via the portal circulation whereas that zinc taken in the fasted state is more readily directed to peripheral blood plasma. Zinc taken with food is more likely to be bound to components of the food matrix and, therefore, it is not absorbed as efficiently by Zip4 ionic zinc transporters in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Some of the zinc in the food matrix may, however, be co-absorbed with amino acids over the whole length of the small intestine . Co-absorption of zinc with amino acids may explain the greater effects of zinc taken with food on omega-6 fatty acid desaturation . The investigators propose that this effect may be maximized by providing supplemental zinc complexed with amino acids. Since the zinc amino acid complex likely mimics the absorption and retention of zinc bound to protein in food, the investigators further propose that zinc, bound to amino acids taken in the fasted state will be directed into the cellular compartments more efficiently than zinc associated with gluconate. The primary aim in this study is to determine whether providing a zinc amino acid complex has a greater effect on indices of essential fatty acid desaturation compared with zinc gluconate when the zinc complexes are taken in the fasting state. The investigators hypothesize that taking a zinc amino acid (Zn-AA) complex in a fasted state daily for two weeks has a greater effect on the Fatty Acid Desaturase 1 (FADS1) activity compared with zinc gluconate. Also, if the uptake of ionic zinc gluconate into cellular compartments is reduced in comparison to Zn-AA because the zinc gluconate is retained in the plasma, two weeks of a daily zinc gluconate will have a greater effect on fasting plasma zinc concentrations compared to a Zn- AA complex.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06348056

Run by

University of California, Berkeley

People needed

30

Starts

2024-01-22

Expected to finish

2024-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2024-04-08

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 50. Sex: male. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Apparently healthy men (i.e., have no current health issues requiring medications or a specific diet)
• 18 to 50 years of age
• Body mass index between 18 and 30 kg/m2
• Willing to take zinc supplements provided by the study for a total of four weeks

You may not qualify if…

• History of heart disease, any inflammatory disorder including inflammatory bowel syndrome or arthritis, or any cancer treatment, or previously diagnosed with HIV
• Smoking or alcohol abuse, use of illicit drugs
• Any contraindication to venipuncture such as bleeding disorders or use of blood thinners
• Those taking vitamins or supplements including minerals and omega oils, who cannot agree to stop taking the supplements two weeks prior to the study and for the duration of the study

Where it is running

• University of California, Berkeley — Berkeley, California, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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