12 groups of 8 young male Sprague-Dawley rats received a semisynthetic casein-diet, whose zinc concentration (1.3 ppm) was adjusted to 5, 10 and 15 ppm by supplementation of various Zn complexes or salts like Zn citrate, Zn picolinate, Zn 8-hydroxyquinolate and Zn sulfate. After 24 days all animals were killed and examined on parameters of zinc supply status. The weight gain of the animals with 5 ppm dietary zinc was strongly reduced compared to groups with the higher dietary zinc content. The type of the supplemented Zn compound showed in no way an influence on the live-weight of the animals. The zinc concentration of the tissues, too, was only dependent on the level of the dietary zinc concentration and not on the type of supplemented zinc compound. The activity of the alkaline phosphatase in serum, a zinc metalloenzyme, was altogether reduced in the zinc-deficient animals with 5 ppm dietary zinc content, but showed a significant higher activity in the citrate and 8-hydroxyquinolate group than in the sulfate and picolinate group. Also the percent zinc-binding capacity of serum, a good indicator for estimating the zinc supply status of rats, showed a better zinc supply of the citrate group with 5 as well as 10 ppm dietary zinc, compared with the other groups on the same dietary zinc content. The serum zinc concentration of rats with 5 ppm as Zn citrate was more than twice higher than in animals given zinc as picolinate, 8-hydroxyquinolate or sulfate. The results indicate a better utilization of zinc chelated by citric acid than by picolinic acid, 8-hydroxyquinoline or as salt like sulfate. But the higher bioavailability of zinc in human milk should not only be attributed to the presence of citrate.