Table 3.
The clinical applications of zinc supplements and chelators
| Disease | Dosage and species of zinc | Effect/Comments | Trial registration number | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical applications of zinc supplements | ||||
| Prediabetes | 30 mg zinc gluconate/day, 90 days. | Zinc supplementation significantly decreased BMI and improved FPG, 2hpp, HbA1C, insulin, IS, and IR. | – | 684 |
| Type-2 diabetes | 30 mg zinc sulfate/day, 6 months. | Zinc supplementation improved FBG and HOMA concentration. Beta cell function, insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance showed significant improvement as well. | – | 685 |
| 40 mg zinc sulfate/day, 12 weeks. | Zinc supplementation was observed on inflammatory marker concentrations or fold change in zinc transporter and MT gene expression. | NCT01505803 | 686 | |
| 50 mg zinc gluconate/day, 8 weeks. | The total antioxidant capacity was significantly elevated (16%) following zinc intake by patients with T2DM. The clinical and glycemic indices. | IRCT2015083102 | 687 | |
| Diabetes with thalassemia | 25 mg zinc sulfate/day, 3 months. | Zinc supplementation improves glucose homeostasis in thalassemia. | NCT01772680 | 688 |
| AS | 45 mg zinc gluconate/day, 6 months. | Zinc supplementation reduced plasma CRP and IL-6 levels in men and women. Zinc may have a protective effect on AS because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions. | – | 689 |
| COVID-19 | 25 mg of elemental zinc as capsule/day, 15 days. | Oral zinc can decrease 30-day death, ICU admission rate and can shorten symptom duration. | NCT05212480. | 690 |
| COVID-19 | 15 mg zinc in an active product/day, 30 days. | The administration of an active product (ABB C1®) based on a combination of β-glucan and probiotic S. cerevisiae yeasts enriched with selenium and zinc in association with influenza and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines appeared to be able to stimulate trained immunity. | NCT04798677 | 691 |
| Behcet’s disease | 30 mg zinc gluconate/day, 12 weeks. | Zinc gluconate supplementation can be considered as an adjuvant therapy in alleviating inflammation and genital ulcer among Behcet’s disease patients. | – | 692 |
| 30 mg zinc gluconate/day, 12 weeks. | Zinc supplementation significantly improved non-ocular Behcet’s disease score and TLR-2 expression. | NCT05098678 | 693 | |
| HIV-1 | 10 mg zinc sulfate/day, 6 months. | Zinc supplementation does not result in an increase in plasma HIV-1 viral load and could reduce morbidity caused by diarrhea. | – | 694 |
| Cholera | 30 mg zinc acetate/day, until resolution of diarrhea or for up to seven days. | Zinc supplementation significantly reduced the duration of diarrhea and stool output in children with cholera. | NCT00226616 | 695 |
| Malaria | 10 mg zinc gluconate/day, median follow-up: 331 days | Neither zinc nor multi-nutrients influenced malaria rates | NCT00623857 | 696 |
| Thalassemia major | 25 mg zinc sulfate/day, 18 months. | Zinc supplementation resulted in greater gains in total-body bone mass in young patients with thalassemia major. | NCT00459732 | 697 |
| Hemodialysis | 78 mg zinc gluconate/day, 2 months. | Zinc supplementation ameliorates abnormally high plasma Al concentrations and oxidative stress and improves selenium status in long-term dialysis patients. | – | 698 |
| 34 mg hemodialysis/day, 12 months. | Zinc supplementation reduces the erythropoietin responsiveness index in patients undergoing hemodialysis and may be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with renal anemia and low serum zinc levels. | – | 699 | |
| Head and neck cancers | 25 mg Pro-zinc (a powder extracted from bovine prostate then chelated to zinc)/day, 2 months. | Zinc supplementation used in conjunction with radiotherapy could postpone the development of severe mucositis and dermatitis in patients with cancers of the head and neck. | – | 700 |
| Colorectal cancer | 308 mg zinc sulfate/day, 108 days. | Zinc supplementation during chemotherapy cycles increased SOD activity and maintained vitamin E concentrations, indicating production of stable free radicals, which may have a positive effect on cancer treatment. | NCT02106806 | 701 |
| 70 mg zinc sulfate/day, 16 weeks | Zinc supplementation on markers of oxidative stress in post-operative colorectal cancer during chemotherapy cycles. | NCT02106806 | – | |
| Zinc gluconate, unknown dosage, 8 weeks. | Zinc supplement in regorafenib treated metastatic CRC patient (ZnCORRECT). | NCT03898102 | – | |
| 70 mg zinc sulfate/day, 4 months. | Modulation of immune response by oral zinc supplementation in chemotherapy for CRC. | NCT01261962 | – | |
| ESCC and GC | 22.5 mg zinc oxide/day, 15.25 years. | Zinc supplementation was associated with increased total and stroke mortality. | – | 702 |
| GI cancer | Zinc sulfate, unknown dosage | Effects on quality of life with zinc supplementation in patients with GI cancer. | NCT03819088 | – |
| Clinical application of zinc chelators | ||||
| Epilepsy | 2 weeks 1 mg/kg/day clioquinol, 6 weeks 4 mg/kg/day clioquinol, 8 weeks. | To examine the potential anti-seizure activity of clioquinol in a small cohort of adolescents with drug-resistant epilepsy | NCT05727943 | – |
| Hematological malignancy | 800 mg clioquinol/day, 28 days. | To evaluate the dose-limiting toxicity, maximum tolerated dose, and recommended phase II dose of clioquinol in patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies. | NCT00963495 | – |