Zinc as an element of therapeutic importance: A review

Zinc enjoys vital role by being cofactor of large number of mettaloenzymes enzymes like carbonic anhydrase, superoxide dismutase, phospholipase A2, alkaline phosphate, a-mannosidase, alcohol dehydrogenase, carboxypeptidase A and B, D-glyceraldahyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutamic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogense. Zinc deficiency may be caused due to primary deficiency of zinc in diet or secondary influences like increased phytate and calcium in diet. Zinc deficiency signs are more common in non ruminants; in ruminants the rumen environment overcomes the effect of phytate present in diet. Zinc deficiency causes skin lesions probably by interfering in protein synthesis, impaired immunity by affecting both cell mediated as well as humoral immunity, growth by depressing the appetite and decreasing feed conversion efficiency, infertility by causing retarded testicular development and interference in spermatogenesis.