Thread by @DrSubhasree

Thread: Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory phytonutrients could target the pathogenesis of #COVID19.

Do phytonutrients have the capacity to enhance immunity? Existing literature and evidence to support the hypotheses for 4 phytonutrients & 2 micronutrients.
frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

1. Curcumin:

a. Inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF- α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells and IL- 1β and IL-6 in TNF-α treated HaCaT cells via inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17883952/

b. Curcumin exerts an antiviral effect on a broad range of viruses including influenza virus, adenovirus, hepatitis, human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus−2 (HSV-2), and Zika viruses.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

2. Cinnamaldehyde:

a. In a study by Liao et al., it was found that cinnamaldehyde inhibits the TNF-α-induced inflammation through suppression of NF-κB activation.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18304597/

b. Downregulates the production of prostaglandins (PGEs) by downregulating IL-1β-induced COX-2 activity thus lowering the chances of hyper inflammation in a dose-dependent manner.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29389558/

3. Allicin:

a. Allicin suppresses the inflammation via inhibiting the TNF-α induced expression levels of IL-1β, IL-8, IP-10, and IFN-γ and also through suppression of degradation of NF-κB inhibitory protein IκB in intestinal epithelial cells.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15380914/

b. Strong viricidal activity against a wide range of viruses including parainfluenza virus type 3, human rhinovirus, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, HSV-2, etc.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20200679/

4. Piperine:

a. Promotes innate immunity by promoting the phagocytic activity of phagocytes and is known to inhibit LPS-induced expression of IRF-1 and IRF-7 mRNA, phosphorylation of IRF-3, type 1IFN mRNA, and down-regulation of STAT-1 activity.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20621590/

b. Piperine treatment found to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2, nitric oxide synthase-2, and NF-κB in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion-induced inflammation rat model.
link.springer.com/article/10.100…

5. Zinc:

a. Zn exposure (100 μM) was shown to reduce recombinant human ACE-2 activity in rat lungs. Zn2+ cations especially in combination with Zn ionophore pyrithione were shown to inhibit SARS-coronavirus RNA polymerase.
faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.109…

b. Studies have shown that oral supplementation of Zn reduces the occurrence of acute respiratory infections by 35%. Zn also shortens the duration of flu-like symptoms by 2 days as well as improves the rate of recovery.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

c. The recommended dose from various studies ranges from 20 to 92 mg/week.
academic.oup.com/ije/article/39…
d. Zinc is considered as the potential supportive treatment against COVID-19 infection due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant & antiviral effects.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20156999/

6. Selenium:

a. Optimum selenium status (100 μg/ day) promotes enhanced T cell proliferation, NK cell activity, & innate cell functions. Also, suppresses severe inflammation in tissues such as the lungs and intestine.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

b. Studies have shown that selenium supplementation modulates the inflammatory response in respiratory distress syndrome patients by restoring the antioxidant status of the lungs and suppressing the IL-1β and IL-6 levels.
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

c. Selenium supplementation suppresses pathogen-induced activation of NF-κB and its downstream pro-inflammatory cytokine release.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

d. Selenium supplementation demonstrates the improved CD+ T cell counts and improves glutathione peroxidase and other antioxidant selenoenzymes along with catalase activities.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

Summary: There is multiple evidence on the possible antioxidant functions of several nutrients, phytonutrients, and active ingredients against COVID 19 prevention and disease severity.