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The Micronutrient Zinc in Human Health and Disease

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Emerging Solutions in Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security

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Abstract

Zinc is an essential trace element for life, acting as a vital cofactor for more than 300 enzymes involved in physiological reactions and numerous transcription factors responsible for gene expression. Zinc deficiency is prevalent in the developing world and affects about two billion people, leading to various diseases. Zn deficiency can also be the sign for hidden hunger (particularly minerals and vitamins), which can occur without a deficit in energy intake as a result of consuming an energy-dense, but nutrient-poor diet. This chapter explores the attributes, biological functions, regulation of zinc homeostasis at the cellular and molecular level, and highlights the detrimental effects of zinc deficiency on health and emergence of numerous illnesses. Recent Research has revealed the critical role of zinc in immunity, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. These findings emphasize the importance of using zinc in treating various chronic diseases.

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Abbreviations

Alb:

Albumin

MT:

Metallothionein

MTF-1:

Metal regulatory transcription factor 1

TGC:

Trans-Golgi cisternae

ZIP:

Zrt-/Irt-like protein

Zn:

Zinc

ZnT:

Zn transporter

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2021R1C1C100811711).

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare no competing conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Nutrition, Andong National University, Andong, North Kyungsang, South Korea

    Young-Eun Cho, Sang-Hun Choi & In-Sook Kwun

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  1. Young-Eun Cho
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  2. Sang-Hun Choi
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  3. In-Sook Kwun
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Correspondence to In-Sook Kwun .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture Science and Technology Research Institute, Andong National University, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea (Republic of)

    Sampat Ghosh

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya, Sarguja, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, India

    Amrita Kumari Panda

  3. Agriculture Science and Technology Research Institute, Andong National University, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea (Republic of)

    Chuleui Jung

  4. Vice Chancellor, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand, India

    Satpal Singh Bisht

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Cho, YE., Choi, SH., Kwun, IS. (2023). The Micronutrient Zinc in Human Health and Disease. In: Ghosh, S., Kumari Panda, A., Jung, C., Singh Bisht, S. (eds) Emerging Solutions in Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40908-0_11

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