The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of three zinc salts: zinc pantothenate, zinc sulfate and zinc orotate.

In this study the authors compared the pharmacokinetics of three zinc salts after parenteral and oral administration to rabbits: zinc sulfate, a soluble mineral salt; zinc pantothenate, a soluble organic salt; and zinc orotate, an insoluble organic salt. The results obtained with the two soluble salts were not significantly different (p less than 0.05). Therefore they appear to be bioequivalent. The plasma concentration curve for zinc orotate shows a faster distribution (alpha) and elimination phase (beta) after parenteral administration, and a slower absorption phase (Ka) after oral administration, when compared with that of the other two salts. It was shown that the dissolution behaviour of these zinc salts in water does not correlate with the parameters found in vivo.