Trace element supplement

A "trace element supplement" is a combination product containing low doses of essential minerals required in minute amounts for normal physiological function and health maintenance. These supplements are used to prevent or correct deficiencies of one or more trace elements—such as iron, zinc, selenium, copper, iodine, manganese, chromium, or molybdenum—which play critical roles as cofactors for enzymes, as structural stabilizers, and as regulators of metabolic and immune functions. The formulation and indications vary by clinical use; these are not single biomolecules or drug targets but are considered nutritional interventions for systemic support[1][2][3][5][6][7][8][10]. Supplements may be administered orally or parenterally (e.g., in total parenteral nutrition). Because of their non-specific nature and lack of a single target, the entry "trace element supplement" is not appropriate as a receptor, enzyme, transporter, or pharmacological target in drug discovery or molecular biology databases.

Other names

Trace minerals supplementTrace mineral mixtureTrace element formulationTrace element mixTrace elements complex

Not applicable for a single molecule; mechanisms depend on the biological action of individual trace elements as cofactors, structural components, enzyme stabilizers, and regulators of hormonal, metabolic, and redox processes