Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for all species of animals. Zinc (Zn) plays a key role in many vital enzymes. More than 200 Zinc (Zn) containing enzymes have been identified, at least one in every enzyme class, spanning a broad range of metabolic activities. It is essential for nucleic acid and protein synthesize.Therefore zinc (Zn) deficiency can result in dysfunction of those enzymes which containing Zinc (Zn) as a component. Although available data is insufficient to make a conclusion but those data suggest that sexual maturation, growth and development depends on the dietary zinc (Zn) consumption. So zinc (Zn) deficiency can lead to problems in those functions.
Primary nutritional zinc (Zn) deficiency in humans results in growth failure, hypogonadism (a
medical term for a defect of the reproductive system that results in lack of function of the gonads (ovaries or testes)) and sexual infantilism (a syndrome of delayed or arrested development of sexual organs) in teenage individuals. Egypt and Iran is the main region where zinc (Zn) deficiency is common due to high consumption of unleavened bread prepared fro high extraction flour. Ankylostomiasis, schistosomiasis, geophagia (the practice of eating earthy or soil-like substances such as clay, and chalk) and profuse sweating are the other features present in those patients. They respond well to zinc (Zn) supplements.Zinc (Zn) deficiency leads to severe growth depression in all species studied, probably associated with failure in protein synthesize. Zinc (Zn) deficiency can also cause depression of food consumption which in turn, will result in growth failure. Other evidence or features of zinc (Zn) deficiency are as follows;
- Hypogeusia (poor taste sensitivity)
- Dysgeusia (a persistent unpleasant taste)
- Hyposmia and dysosmia ( disturbances of the sense of smell)
- recurrent infections (respiratory, urinary)
- delayed wound healing
0 comments:
Post a Comment