The Effect of Biscuits Made From Pumpkin Seeds Flour on Serum Zinc Levels and Weight in Malnutrition Wistar Rats

BACKGROUND: Serum zinc levels are found to be low in children of protein energy malnutrition globally. Pumpkin seed flour has a high zinc content of 6.88 mg/100 g, has been formulated biscuits made from pumpkin seed flour with a zinc content of 1.52 mg/100 g. AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of giving biscuits made from pumpkin seed flour to serum zinc levels and body weight in malnutrition Wistar rats. METHODS: This research is a true experiment with pre-post-test with control group design. Subjects were 28 male Wistar strain rats induced by fasting malnutrition for 3 days and then given biscuits with a zinc dose of 0.027 mg; 0.054 mg; and 0.081 mg/BW/day and in the control group without biscuits for 2 weeks. Serum zinc levels were examined using the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS: Paired t-test results on serum zinc levels obtained p > 0.05 and on body weight obtained p < 0.05. One-way ANOVA test results on serum zinc levels after the intervention obtained p > 0.05 and at body weight obtained p < 0.05 followed by post hoc least significant difference test found that there were significant differences between the control group and the P1 group, a dose of 0.027 mg (p = 0.015) and P2 groups, doses of 0.054 mg (p = 0.012). Greater weight gain was found in the P1 group with an increase of 38.85%. CONCLUSION: The provision of biscuits made from pumpkin seed flour has an effect on increasing body weight of malnutrition Wistar rats and has no effect on serum zinc levels, so further research is expected to use different doses