Zinc Repletion with Organic or Inorganic Forms of Zinc and Protein Turnover in Marginally Zinc-deficient Calves

We conducted two experiments using marginally Zn-deficient (-Zn) calves to determine which supplemental chemical form of Zn would most rapidly reverse certain Zn deficiency signs and to determine whether a change in protein turnover had occurred in Zn deficiency. In Exp. 1, 40 crossbred beef heifers were allocated by BW to four groups. The control group received 23 mg Zn/kg diet DM from ZnSO4 supplemented to the -Zn diet (17 mg Zn/kg diet DM). The three other groups received the -Zn diet. After 21 d, based on a decreased (P < .05) feed efficiency, they were deemed -Zn. Cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was reduced (P < .05) but plasma and liver Zn were unaffected in the -Zn calves. Zinc was repleted by feeding iso-Zn amounts (23 mg Zn/kg diet DM) from Zn lysine, Zn methionine, or ZnSO4. At 8 h after injection of PHA, control CMI response values were similar to Zn Methionine, and Zn lysine was lower (P < .05). In Exp. 2, 10 Holstein steers were allocated by BW to two groups. One group received the -Zn diet, and the other received the +Zn diet. Urine collections were obtained from both groups of calves when the -Zn calves showed a decrease (P < .05) in feed efficiency relative to the controls and when they were repleted with 23 mg Zn/kg diet DM from ZnSO4 and their feed efficiency had returned to that of the controls. Urinary 3-methylhistidine indicated that -Zn calves had less (P < .05) daily protein degradation than the controls. Refeeding Zn to the -Zn group did not change BW or daily protein degradation. Results indicated that a marginal Zn deficiency decreased fractional accretion rate, increased (P < .05) urine excretion, and tended to increase (P < .19) Na and decrease (P < .12) K concentrations in the urine.