Table 1 Dietary sources, recommended daily intake (RDI), daily permissible limit (DPL), immune functions, and supplementation effects of Cu, Se, and Zn

Cu

Beef meat

12.5 mg/100 g

0.9 mg/day

10 mg/day

- Supported macrophage function and natural killer (Nk) cell activity

-Decreased interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 mRNA in T-lymphocytes

- Inhibited NF-kB activation

- Increased IL-2 synthesis

- Percival [23]

- Hopkins and Failla [13]

Oysters, shellfish

4.9 mg/100 g

Mushroom

1 mg/100 g

Nuts

2 mg/100 g

Se

Tuna

100 μg/100 g

55 μg/day

300 μg/day

- Increased T and B lymphocyte function

- Increased the antioxidant enzyme activity

- Decreased Nk cell activity

- Reduced the GSH-Px activity

- Increased the expression of the inflammatory cytokine, IL-6, and TNF-α

-Improved immune function

- Induced up-regulation of the IL-2

- Stimulated T-cell proliferation

- Increased the TNF-α and IFN-γ

- Guillin et al. [11]

- Alexander et al. [1]

- Zhang et al. [35]

Sardines

90 μg/100 g

Shellfish

85 μg/100 g

Chicken

25 μg/100 g

Eggs

20 μg/100 g

Nuts

1700 μg/100 g

Cereals

19 μg/100 g

Zn

Oysters

61 mg/100 g

11 mg/day

40 mg/day

- Antiviral function

- RNA polymerase inhibition

- Enhanced the Nk cells activity

- Activation of antibody production

- Induced viral infection vulnerability

- Risk factor for pneumonia

- Increased inflammation

- Reduced common cold severity

- Increased the T-cell production

- Barnett et al. [2]

- Read et al. [25]

- de Almeida Brasiel [4]

Beef

11 mg/100 g

Chicken

2 mg/100 g

Wheat

17 mg/100 g

Beans, lentils

1 mg/100 g