An important essential trace element found in every tissue of the human body is zinc. The pervasive role of zinc in the metabolic function of the body results from its function as a cofactor of a multitude of enzymes. As zinc metalloenzymes are found in every known class of enzymes, the element plays an important function in every conceivable biochemical pathway. It is now clearly established t...

Zinc is involved in numerous metabolic functions, including energy metabolism, immunity and antioxidant activity [1]. The majority of zinc is found within the musculoskeletal system as part of protein complexes. In addition to providing structural stability for proteins, zinc also acts as a cofactor for metalloenzymes, including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and carbon...

Zinc and copper were histochemically localized in rat ocular tissues. Zinc was demonstrated by the dithizone method, and copper by the rubeanic acid and rhodanine methods. The retinal photoreceptor's outer segment showed the presence of zinc, but no zinc reaction was seen in other parts of the retina or other ocular tissues, even in rats fed excess zinc. It seems that photoreceptor cells contai...

Natural products harbor unique and complex structures that provide valuable antibiotic scaffolds. With an increase in antibiotic resistance, natural products once again hold promise for new antimicrobial therapies, especially those with unique scaffolds that have been overlooked due to a lack of understanding of how they function. Dithiolopyrrolones (DTPs) are an underexplored class of disulfid...

Wound care is a major healthcare expenditure. Treatment of burns, surgical and trauma wounds, diabetic lower limb ulcers and skin wounds is a major medical challenge with current therapies largely focused on supportive care measures. Successful wound repair requires a series of tightly coordinated steps including coagulation, inflammation, angiogenesis, new tissue formation and extracellular ma...

The role of zinc deficiency as an important cause of morbidity and impaired linear growth has prompted the need to identify indicators of population zinc status. Three indicators have been recommended - prevalence of zinc intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR), percentage with low serum zinc concentrations, and percentage of children aged < 5 years who are stunted. This review ou...

Studies of the biochemistry of zinc have produced results which are widely divergent because of difficulties in methodology. However, techniques have evolved so that general agreement now exists that dithizone methods give reliable and reproducible measurements of zinc in erythrocytes and sera, and that acid extraction of the zinc from these biological materials produces more consistent and acc...

Antioxidants play a critical role in keeping skin healthy. The antioxidant benefits of vitamin C and E are well known, but the importance of the trace mineral, zinc, has been overlooked. This article reviews the evidence supporting zinc's antioxidant role in protecting against free radical-induced oxidative damage. Zinc protects against UV radiation, enhances wound healing, contributes to immun...