摘要：

INTRODUCTION Copper is a trace element and belonging to dblock in the periodic table. It holds the 25th position in terms of amounting to about 68ppm by weight in the earth's crust. It is an essential trace element playing a major role in the body, whether be it metabolically, physiologically or functionally. It was one of the elements discovered in the ancient times and is since then known for its curative properties. In biological terms, copper is an essential metallo-element is a reddish-brown since all animal and plant cells require it to live and function1. It has been used in medicine for thousands of years — apparently since before the beginning of recorded history. Just as the ancients were able to derive pharmaceutically active compounds from plants, they also relied on compounds of metals such as copper, manganese and zinc for their medicines. In ancient times, copper was found useful for its curative powers — largely due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties — in the treatment of wounds and skin diseases. In modern times, it is becoming more widely recognized for its effectiveness in the treatment of a number of internal diseases including anemia, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and heart disease. In addition, current research is confirming the role of normally ingested copper in the prevention and moderation of disease. Much of this research is based upon an improved understanding of the role of copper in the human body, i.e., its role as an essential trace element needed for healthy growth and function.2 Biochemistry of Cu Cu-the metabolically active form exists in 2 different ionic formsCu+ and Cu+2 due to its exhibition of 2 oxidation states which differ by units of one.1 In the body, it moves between these two states i.e. cuprous and cupric. The latter being the most important one for Cu to induce its effect in the body. It is this state which is referred to as "metabolically active copper". But only a fraction < 1% includes this form. In the body,almost all the Cu is bound to either ammino acids or peptides or proteins decreasing the concentration of unbound proteins to almost zero. It is the bound Cu which changes its character from a biologically useful to toxic form. Thus the bound fraction of copper is high in healthy individuals and diminishes in persons with inflammatory diseases like arthritis.3

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