ABSTRACT
The antioxidant system includes a number of enzymes and low-molecular-weight compounds whose activities are dependent on trace elements. The protection provided by these derivatives can therefore be modulated by the intake of trace elements. Insufficient intake can impair the defense system, while supplementation of deficient subjects restores optimum activity for the perturbed functions. Sometimes trace elements can also act through pharmacological mechanisms and stimulate defense processes in subjects with no evidence of specific deficiency states.
