Which trace element deficiency is linked to encephalopathy and amino acid metabolism when supplemented in hepatic disease?

• A. Selenium
• B. Copper
• C. Zinc
• D. Chromium

Answer: (C)

Zinc is a key cofactor for enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism and the urea cycle, which detoxifies ammonia. In liver disease, zinc deficiency is common and can blunt the liver’s ability to convert ammonia into urea, worsening hepatic encephalopathy. Supplementing zinc helps restore these enzymatic processes and improve ammonia handling, leading to better management of encephalopathy. Selenium is more about antioxidant defense, copper relates to Wilson’s disease risk and copper metabolism, and chromium is mainly tied to glucose metabolism, so they’re less directly connected to ammonia detoxification in hepatic disease.