THE INFLUENCE OF ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION ON LACTASE ENZYME ACTIVITY IN PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS EFFECTED WITH LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Background and Aim: Zinc is essential for several body processes and may help babies with gastrointestinal issues like gas, bloating, and pain.Crucial for improving intestinal health and digestion, it contributes to the intestinal bio equilibrium and favorably impacts digestive processes.In this study, the effects of zinc supplementation on the lactase enzyme activity in children with lactose intolerance are examined. Methods:The enzyme activity was quantitatively evaluated using the coulometric technique.The visible spectrophotometer (Apple, Japan) was employed to measure the materials' absorption, or reduction in absorbance, at 505 nm. Results:The study examined the lactase enzyme activity of healthy neonates with those with lactose intolerance symptoms as screaming, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.Healthy newborns and those with lactose intolerance had significantly different lactase enzyme activity (P0.01).Lactase enzyme activity in lactose-intolerant newborns significantly changed (P0.01)before and after zinc supplementation.In addition, zinc supplementation significantly increased lactase enzyme activity in healthy newborns compared to lactose intolerance infants (P0.01). Conclusion:The results show that when comparing healthy newborns to lactose-intolerant infants after zinc supplementation, the lactase enzyme activity in the lactose-intolerant pediatric population is significantly increased, suggesting that zinc supplementation may have a therapeutic role in managing lactose intolerance.