TABLE OF CONTENT                                                                                      

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgement –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Content    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-Vi

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information – –         –         –         –         1-3

CHAPTER TWO

 ESSENTIAL MINOR ELEMENT IN HUMANS

2.1 Copper (Cu)     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         4-6

2.2 Iron (Fe)          –         –         –         –         –         –         –         6-8

2.3 Zinc (Zn)         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         8-11

3.4 Manganese       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         11-12

2.5 Recommended Dietary Allowance –        –         –         –         13

2.6     Toxicity of Minor Element        –         –         –         –         13-14

2.7     Biochemical Classification of Minor Elements        –         14-15

CHAPTER THREE

IMPORTANCE OF SOME MINOR ELEMENTS

IN HUMAN NUTRITION

3.1 Copper (Cu) –  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16

3.2 Iron (Fe)          –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16-17

3.3 Zinc (Zn)         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17

3.4 Manganese       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17

CHAPTER FOUR

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         18

4.2     Conclusion  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         18-19

References

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

An element is called as minor elements when their requirements per day is below 100mg and deficiency leads to disorders and may prove fatal. The element belonging to this group are copper, iron, Zinc, Chromium, cobalt, iodine, molybdenum and selenium. Of these iodine is a non-metal while others are metals. The word “minor” elements is used for elements existing in natural and perturbed environments in small amounts with excess bioavailability having a toxic effect on the living organism (Wada, 2004).

We have less than 100 years of knowledge on role of elements in the human body. It is estimated that 98% of the body mass of man is made up of nine nonmetallic elements (Kienlen, 1997). The four main electrolytes namely sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium constitute about 1.89%, while the rest 0.02% or 8.6 g of an average human adults is made up of 11 typical trace elements (Frieden, 1972). However, this tiny fraction exerts a tremendous influence on all body functions. Most of them mediate vital biochemical reactions by acting as a cofactor or catalyst for many enzymes. They also act as centers of building stabilizing structures such as enzymes and proteins. The accumulation of metals or deficiency of these elements may stimulate an alternate pathway which might produce diseases. Interaction among the trace elements may also act as a scaffold upon which the etiopathogenesis of many nutritional disorders lie (Stohs and Bagchi, 1995). Although these elements account for only 0.02% of the total body weight, they play significant roles, e.g., as active centers of enzymes or as trace bioactive substances (Wada, 2004). Trace elements refers to “elements that occurs in natural and perturbed environments in small amounts and that, when present in sufficient bioavailable concentrations are toxic to living organism (Wada, 2004).

Elements such as iron, zinc, and selenium are essential components of enzymes where they attract or subtract molecules and facilitate their conversion to specific end products. Few elements donate or accept electrons in redox reactions, which results in generation and utilization of metabolic energy and have an impact on the structural stability and to import certain biological molecules. Iron is involved in the binding, transporting, and release of oxygen in higher animals. Some of the trace elements control important biological processes by facilitating the binding of molecules to their receptor sites on cell membrane, by alternating the structures or ionic nature of membrane to prevent or allow specific molecules to enter or leave a cell and in inducing gene expression resulting in the formation of protein involved in life processes (Nielsen, 1972).