Thirty eight non-institutionalized persons, aged 60-84, provided tissue samples for hair, saliva sediment and supernatant, and urine zinc analysis and were tested for taste acuity using the triangle-dilution test. No correlation was found between taste acuity and the tissue measures of zinc. Hair zinc levels and salivary sediment levels were significantly correlated (r = .31, p < .05) in this sample. With respect to age, taste acuity as measured by a detection/recognition score was significantly correlated (r = -.28, p < .05) as were hair zinc levels (r = .43, p < .01). When assessing the zinc status of a population group, comparisons should be made only among similar age ranges and at least two parameters should be utilized for assessment. Salivary sediment and hair zinc were correlated in this sample but further research is needed to ascertain the response of these two parameters to decreasing levels of zinc in the diet. / Taste acuity measures were not correlated to tissue measures of zinc indicating for this sample, that taste acuity was not a valid functional measure of zinc status. Although decreased taste acuity has been defined as a symptom of zinc deficiency, its use in detecting marginal levels of deficiency, its use in detecting marginal levels of deficiency was not supported by this research. Taste acuity did correlate negatively with age indicating a decrease in taste acuity with increasing age for this sample aged 60-84 particularly in the sour taste modality. To further delineate this relationship, a large sample with a greater age variance is needed. / The assessment of zinc status remains a problem due to the scarcity of data and the numerous variables to be controlled. Before additional work in the relationship of zinc status to other parameters, more research in the zinc assessment methodology is critical. A single tissue parameter or a combination of two or more must be demonstrated to reflect zinc status and respond to dietary manipulation initially through animal studies and finally in various human populations. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-10, Section: B, page: 3193. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74964 |
| Contributors | WILCOX, CATHERINE F., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 95 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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