It was evaluated zinc bioavailability and the effect of the addition of banana flour to the diet of preschool of Manaus, for the methods of depletion and repletion in rats. The meals served to the preschool ones had been collected by means of the portion in duplicate, for a period of 18 days, dried and analysed for the centesimal composition, alimentary fiber, zinc and phytate. The experiment consisted of a phase of depletion of zinc in the rats, for a period of 35 days after birth, where the same ones had received ration to the base from casein without the addition from zinc in the saline mixture. The second phase was of 28 days and the experimental design was randomized entirely, consisting of 4 groups (Diet of the preschool, added of the banana flour, ration controls the base of casein and ration controls the base of casein, without the zinc addition in the saline mixture), with 8 animals each. According to the results, low concentration of zinc in the diet preschool were detected. The animals of the groups offered ration added with the preschool meals with or without banana flour had smaller index of apparent absorption, smaller zinc clamping in femur, when compared with the controls (p<0,05), demonstrating the low zinc bioavailability of the diet, possibly, due to some influence of the factors present in it. Therefore, banana flour in the concentration used in the present study, did not shown any effect in the zinc bioavailability.
zinc; diet of preschool; bioavailability; banana flour