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Zinc gluconate
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Zinc gluconate (also called zincum gluconium) is the zinc salt of gluconic acid. It is an ionic compound consisting of two moles of gluconate for each mole of zinc. Zinc gluconate is a popular form for the delivery of zinc as a dietary supplement.
Gluconic acid is found naturally, and is industrially manufactured by the fermentation of glucose, typically by Aspergillus niger, but also by other fungi, e.g. Penicillium, or by bacteria, e.g. Acetobacter, Pseudomonas and Gluconobacter.
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Encyclopedia
Zinc gluconate (also called zincum gluconium) is the zinc salt of gluconic acid. It is an ionic compound consisting of two moles of gluconate for each mole of zinc. Zinc gluconate is a popular form for the delivery of zinc as a dietary supplement.
Gluconic acid is found naturally, and is industrially manufactured by the fermentation of glucose, typically by Aspergillus niger, but also by other fungi, e.g. Penicillium, or by bacteria, e.g. Acetobacter, Pseudomonas and Gluconobacter. In its pure form, it is a white to off-white powder. It can also be manufactured by electrolytic oxidation, although this is a more expensive process. The advantages are a lower microbiological profile, and a more complete reaction, yielding a product with a longer shelf life.
Zinc gluconate may interfere with the absorption of antibiotics, so combinations may be unsafe.
Zinc and the common cold
Some studies have suggested that zinc gluconate lozenges may shorten the duration of cold symptoms, possibly due to reductions in inflammatory cytokines. However, the benefits of zinc on the common cold have been inconsistent, and a number of studies have failed to find any benefit. A 2000 systematic review by the Cochrane Library described the evidence of benefit as inconclusive. The Harvard Family Health Guide summarized the evidence in 2001 by stating that "zinc lozenges have no beneficial effect on the common cold." A 2003 review in the Journal of American Pharmacists Association determined that the majority of studies supported the value of zinc in reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of the common cold when administered within 24 hours of the onset of common cold symptoms. Another systematic review, published in 2006 in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that many of the studies of zinc in the common cold suffered from methodologic flaws; restricting the analysis to well designed studies, the authors concluded that the therapeutic effectiveness of zinc lozenges has yet to be established.
Safety concerns
In September 2003, Zicam (which claims on its label to be "homeopathic") faced lawsuits from users who claimed that the product negatively affected their sense of smell, and sometimes taste. In January 2006, 340 lawsuits were settled for $12 million. In early 2004, at the height of the controversy, Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., the maker of Zicam, claimed that only a small number of people had experienced problems and that anosmia (loss of smell) can also be caused by the common cold itself. Matrixx also claimed that zinc gluconate dissolves into zinc ions and gluconate, and that both are naturally occurring compounds which are found in all human tissues. They also claim that Zicam is a buffered gel which is formulated to have a neutral pH. The plaintiffs countered Matrixx, claiming that many of the patients had experienced a strong and very painful burning sensation when they used the product, indicating damage to the nasal tissue. No part of the settlement targeted the product's removal from sale, and the nasal gel continues to be available at drug stores throughout the USA. The two creators of Zicam have come under scrutiny. Robert Steven Davidson received his PhD from an unaccredited university which has since closed while Charles B. Hensley has been cited by the US Food and Drug Administration for selling unapproved drugs over the internet.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers zinc gluconate to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in accordance with good manufacturing practice, although this does not constitute a finding by the FDA that the substance is a useful dietary supplement.
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