Nanotechnology Applications of Flavonoids for Viral Diseases

Identifying potential monkeypox virus inhibitors: an in silico study targeting the A42R protein

Monkeypox (now Mpox), a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an emerging threat to global health. In the time span of only six months, from May to October 2022, the number of MPXV cases breached 80,000 and many of the outbreaks occurred in locations that had never previously reported MPXV. Currently there are no FDA-approved MPXV-specific vaccines or treatments, therefore, finding drugs to combat MPXV is of utmost importance. The A42R profilin-like protein of the MPXV is involved in cell development and motility making it a critical drug target. A42R protein is highly conserved across orthopoxviruses, thus A42R inhibitors may work for other family members. This study sought to identify potential A42R inhibitors for MPXV treatment using computational approaches. The energy minimized 3D structure of the A42R profilin-like protein (PDB ID: 4QWO) underwent virtual screening using a library of 36,366 compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), AfroDb, and PubChem databases as well as known inhibitor tecovirimat via AutoDock Vina. A total of seven compounds comprising PubChem CID: 11371962, ZINC000000899909, ZINC000001632866, ZINC000015151344, ZINC000013378519, ZINC000000086470, and ZINC000095486204, predicted to have favorable binding were shortlisted. Molecular docking suggested that all seven proposed compounds have higher binding affinities to A42R (-7.2 to -8.3 kcal/mol) than tecovirimat (-6.7 kcal/mol). This was corroborated by MM/PBSA calculations, with tecovirimat demonstrating the highest binding free energy of -68.694 kJ/mol (lowest binding affinity) compared to the seven shortlisted compounds that ranged from -73.252 to -97.140 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the 7 compounds in complex with A42R demonstrated higher stability than the A42R-tecovirimat complex when subjected to 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations. The protein-ligand interaction maps generated using LigPlot+ suggested that residues Met1, Glu3, Trp4, Ile7, Arg127, Val128, Thr131, and Asn133 are important for binding. These seven compounds were adequately profiled to be potential antivirals via PASS predictions and structural similarity searches. All seven potential lead compounds were scored Pa > Pi for antiviral activity while ZINC000001632866 and ZINC000015151344 were predicted as poxvirus inhibitors with Pa values of 0.315 and 0.215, and Pi values of 0.052 and 0.136, respectively. Further experimental validations of the identified lead compounds are required to corroborate their predicted activity. These seven identified compounds represent solid footing for development of antivirals against MPXV and other orthopoxviruses.

Bioactive Analysis of Antibacterial Efficacy and Antioxidant Potential of Aloe barbadensis Miller Leaf Extracts and Exploration of Secondary Metabolites Using GC-MS Profiling

Aloe barbadensis Miller (ABM) is a traditional medicinal plant all over the world. Numerous studies were conducted to exhibit its medicinal properties and most of them were concentrated on its metabolites against human pathogens. The current research work evaluates the attributes of different polar-based extracts (ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, acetone, hexane, and petroleum ether) of dried Aloe barbadensis leaf (ABL) to investigate its phytochemical constituents, antioxidant potential (DPPH, ABTS), phenolic, tannin, flavonoid contents, identification of bioactive compounds, and functional groups by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) respectively, and comparing antibacterial efficacy against human pathogens, aquatic bacterial pathogens, and zoonotic bacteria associated with fish and human. The present results showed that the methanolic extract of ABL showed higher antioxidant activity (DPPH-59.73 ± 2.01%; ABTS-74.1 ± 1.29%), total phenolic (10.660 ± 1.242 mg GAE/g), tannin (7.158 ± 0.668 mg TAE/g), and flavonoid content (49.545 ± 1.928 µg QE/g) than that of other solvent extracts. Non-polar solvents hexane and petroleum ether exhibited lesser activity among the extracts. In the case of antibacterial activity, higher inhibition zone was recorded in methanol extract of ABL (25.00 ± 0.70 mm) against Aeromonas salmonicida. Variations in antibacterial activity were observed depending on solvents and extracts. In the current study, polar solvents revealed higher antibacterial activity when compared to the non-polar and the mid-polar solvents. Diverse crucial bioactive compounds were detected in GC-MS analysis. The vital compounds were hexadecanoic acid (30.69%) and 2-pentanone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl (23.77%) which are responsible for higher antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Similar functional groups were identified in all the solvent extracts of ABL with slight variations in the FT-IR analysis. Polar-based solvent extraction influenced the elution of phytocompounds more than that of the other solvents used in this study. The obtained results suggested that the ABM could be an excellent source for antioxidant and antibacterial activities and can also serve as a potential source of effective bioactive compounds to combat human as well as aquatic pathogens.

Innovative Food Safety Approaches and Nutraceuticals to Promote Children's Health on Future Outbreaks with the Reflection of COVID-19

After the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative methods have emerged for the management of food safety, child nutrition has become more important than ever, and increasing attention has been paid to the consequences of COVID-19. For instance, since SARS-CoV-2 is an animal-based zoonotic virus, there is a changing trend in consumer preferences from conventional meat products to cultured meat and vegan supplementation. Due to the effects mentioned, this chapter provides strategic guidance on novel foods, food safety innovations, and novel health and safety procedures in public places such as restaurants or bars. There are also long-term health impacts on children in the aftermath of COVID-19. Since the risk of myopia is one of the important long-term effects to be considered, trending nutritional immunology approaches are presented to reduce emerging problems in child eye health. The enhancement of immune system remains problematic for many children considering that they cannot use the COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, this chapter also emphasizes the importance of breastfeeding on the side effects of viral infections and new supplements, such as probiotic drops, to improve children's and babies' immune health. Additionally, efforts should be undertaken to improve nanoencapsulation techniques to prepare for future epidemics and pandemics. Nanomaterial-supported nutraceuticals, nanoencapsulation of functional ingredients or their nanoparticles, and nano-combination of phytochemicals, fatty acids, or probiotics should be investigated to improve the immunity of children. In this sense, detailed further research in this area needs to be adapted to innovative technologies for the treatment of infants and children against future zoonotic viruses.

A Review of Classification, Biosynthesis, Biological Activities and Potential Applications of Flavonoids

Flavonoids represent the main class of plant secondary metabolites and occur in the tissues and organs of various plant species. In plants, flavonoids are involved in many biological processes and in response to various environmental stresses. The consumption of flavonoids has been known to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases due to their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. In the present review, we summarize the classification, distribution, biosynthesis pathways, and regulatory mechanisms of flavonoids. Moreover, we investigated their biological activities and discuss their applications in food processing and cosmetics, as well as their pharmaceutical and medical uses. Current trends in flavonoid research are also briefly described, including the mining of new functional genes and metabolites through omics research and the engineering of flavonoids using nanotechnology. This review provides a reference for basic and applied research on flavonoid compounds.

Aurones: A Promising Scaffold to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Replication

Aurones are a small subgroup of flavonoids in which the basic C6-C3-C6 skeleton is arranged as (Z)-2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3(2H)-one. These compounds are structural isomers of flavones and flavonols, natural products reported as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of a series of 25 aurones bearing different oxygenated groups (OH, OCH3, OCH2OCH3, OCH2O, OCF2H, and OCH2C6H4R) at the A- and/or B-rings using cell-based screening assays. We observed that 12 of the 25 compounds exhibit EC50 < 3 μM (8e, 8h, 8j, 8k, 8l, 8m, 8p, 8q, 8r, 8w, 8x, and 8y), of which five presented EC50 < 1 μM (8h, 8m, 8p, 8q, and 8w) without evident cytotoxic effect in Calu-3 cells. The substitution of the A- and/or B-ring with OCH3, OCH2OCH3, and OCF2H groups seems beneficial for the antiviral activity, while the corresponding phenolic derivatives showed a significant decrease in the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The most potent compound of the series, aurone 8q (EC50 = 0.4 μM, SI = 2441.3), is 2 to 3 times more effective than the polyphenolic flavonoids myricetin (2) and baicalein (1), respectively. Investigation of the five more active compounds as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro based on molecular dynamic calculations suggested that these aurones should detach from the active site of 3CLpro, and, probably, they could bind to another SARS-CoV-2 protein target (either receptor or enzyme).

Protective role of flavonoids quercetin and silymarin in the viral-associated inflammatory bowel disease: an updated review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic recurrent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). IBD patients are susceptible to various infections such as viral infections due to the long-term consumption of immunosuppressive drugs and biologics. The antiviral and IBD protective traits of flavonoids have not been entirely investigated. This study objective included an overview of the protective role of flavonoids quercetin and silymarin in viral-associated IBD. Several viral agents such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and enteric viruses can be reactivated and thus develop or exacerbate the IBD conditions or eventually facilitate the disease remission. Flavonoids such as quercetin and silymarin are non-toxic and safe bioactive compounds with remarkable anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects. Mechanisms of anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects of silymarin and quercetin mainly include immune modulation and inhibition of caspase enzymes, viral binding and replication, RNA synthesis, viral proteases and viral assembly. In the nutraceutical sector, natural flavonoids low bioavailability and solubility necessitate the application of delivery systems to enhance their efficacy. This review study provided an updated understanding of the protective role of quercetin and silymarin against viral-associated IBD.

Elnosary M, L. Ashour M, M. Abd El-Moneam N, A. Shreadah M. Flavonoids Biosynthesis in Plants as a Defense Mechanism: Role and Function Concerning Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetic Properties

Flavonoids are a major class of secondary metabolites that comprises more than 6000 compounds that have been identified. They are biosynthesized via the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway that involves groups of enzymes such as isomerases, hydroxylases, and reductases that greatly affect the determination of the flavonoid skeleton. For example, transferase enzymes responsible for the modification of sugar result in changes in the physiological activity of the flavonoids and changes in their physical properties, such as solubility, reactivity, and interaction with cellular target molecules, which affect their pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, flavonoids have diverse biological activities such as antioxidants, anticancer, and antiviral in managing Alzheimer’s disease. However, most marine flavonoids are still incompletely discovered because marine flavonoid biosynthesis is produced and possesses unique substitutions that are not commonly found in terrestrial bioactive compounds. The current chapter will illustrate the importance of flavonoids’ role in metabolism and the main difference between marine and terrestrial flavonoids.

Potential Inhibitors of Monkeypox Virus Revealed by Molecular Modeling Approach to Viral DNA Topoisomerase I

The monkeypox outbreak has become a global public health emergency. The lack of valid and safe medicine is a crucial obstacle hindering the extermination of orthopoxvirus infections. The identification of potential inhibitors from natural products, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), by molecular modeling could expand the arsenal of antiviral chemotherapeutic agents. Monkeypox DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) is a highly conserved viral DNA repair enzyme with a small size and low homology to human proteins. The protein model of viral DNA TOP1 was obtained by homology modeling. The reliability of the TOP1 model was validated by analyzing its Ramachandran plot and by determining the compatibility of the 3D model with its sequence using the Verify 3D and PROCHECK services. In order to identify potential inhibitors of TOP1, an integrated library of 4103 natural products was screened via Glide docking. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) was further implemented to assay the complex binding affinity. Molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) were combined with molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) computations to reveal the binding mechanisms of the complex. As a result, three natural compounds were highlighted as potential inhibitors via docking-based virtual screening. Rosmarinic acid, myricitrin, quercitrin, and ofloxacin can bind TOP1 with KD values of 2.16 μM, 3.54 μM, 4.77 μM, and 5.46 μM, respectively, indicating a good inhibitory effect against MPXV. The MM/PBSA calculations revealed that rosmarinic acid had the lowest binding free energy at -16.18 kcal/mol. Myricitrin had a binding free energy of -13.87 kcal/mol, quercitrin had a binding free energy of -9.40 kcal/mol, and ofloxacin had a binding free energy of -9.64 kcal/mol. The outputs (RMSD/RMSF/Rg/SASA) also indicated that the systems were well-behaved towards the complex. The selected compounds formed several key hydrogen bonds with TOP1 residues (TYR274, LYS167, GLY132, LYS133, etc.) via the binding mode analysis. TYR274 was predicted to be a pivotal residue for compound interactions in the binding pocket of TOP1. The results of the enrichment analyses illustrated the potential pharmacological networks of rosmarinic acid. The molecular modeling approach may be acceptable for the identification and design of novel poxvirus inhibitors; however, further studies are warranted to evaluate their therapeutic potential.

Polyphenolic promiscuity, inflammation-coupled selectivity: Whether PAINs filters mask an antiviral asset

The Covid-19 pandemic has elicited much laboratory and clinical research attention on vaccines, mAbs, and certain small-molecule antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By contrast, there has been comparatively little attention on plant-derived compounds, especially those that are understood to be safely ingested at common doses and are frequently consumed in the diet in herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. Examining plant secondary metabolites, we review recent elucidations into the pharmacological activity of flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds and also survey their putative frequent-hitter behavior. Polyphenols, like many drugs, are glucuronidated post-ingestion. In an inflammatory milieu such as infection, a reversion back to the active aglycone by the release of β-glucuronidase from neutrophils and macrophages allows cellular entry of the aglycone. In the context of viral infection, virions and intracellular virus particles may be exposed to promiscuous binding by the polyphenol aglycones resulting in viral inhibition. As the mechanism's scope would apply to the diverse range of virus species that elicit inflammation in infected hosts, we highlight pre-clinical studies of polyphenol aglycones, such as luteolin, isoginkgetin, quercetin, quercetagetin, baicalein, curcumin, fisetin and hesperetin that reduce virion replication spanning multiple distinct virus genera. It is hoped that greater awareness of the potential spatial selectivity of polyphenolic activation to sites of pathogenic infection will spur renewed research and clinical attention for natural products antiviral assaying and trialing over a wide array of infectious viral diseases.

Synthesis of M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Study

Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag3PO4 exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag3PO4, Ag3PO4, and Se-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was Ag3PO4 > Ag-Ag3PO4 > Ta-Ag3PO4 > Se-Ag3PO4, respectively. Percentage inhibition of E. coli was 98.27, 74.38, 100, and 94.2%, while percentage inhibition of S. aureus was 25.53, 80.28, 99.36, and 20.22% after treatment with Ag3PO4, Se-Ag3PO4, Ag-Ag3PO4, and Ta-Ag3PO4, respectively. The MTT assay shows a significant decline in the cell viability after treating with M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles. The IC50 values for Ag3PO4, Se-Ag3PO4, Ag-Ag3PO4, and Ta-Ag3PO4 on HCT-116 were 39.44, 28.33, 60.24, 58.34 µg/mL; whereas for HeLa cells, they were 65.25, 61.27, 75.52, 72.82 µg/mL, respectively. M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles did not inhibit HEK-293 cells. Apoptotic assay revealed that the numbers of DAPI stained cells were significantly lower in the M-Ag3PO4-treated cells versus control.

Solanaceae Family Phytochemicals as Inhibitors of 3C-Like Protease of SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Analysis

COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. As of 8 April 2022, the virus has caused a global pandemic, resulting in 494,587,638 infections leading to 6,170,283 deaths around the world. Although several vaccines have received emergency authorization from USA and UK drug authorities and two more in Russia and China, it is too early to comment on the prolonged effectiveness of the vaccines, their availability, and affordability for the developing countries of the world, and the daunting task to vaccinate 7 billion people of the world with two doses of the vaccine with additional booster doses. As a result, it is still worthwhile to search for drugs and several promising leads have been found, mainly through in silico studies. In this study, we have examined the binding energies of several alkaloids and anthocyanin derivatives from the Solanaceae family, a family which contains common consumable vegetables and fruit items such as eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes. Our study demonstrates that Solanaceae family alkaloids such as incanumine and solaradixine, as well as anthocyanins and anthocyanidins, have very high predicted binding energies for the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as Mpro). Since Mpro is vital for SARS-CoV-2 replication, the compounds merit potential for further antiviral research towards the objective of obtaining affordable drugs.

Effects of Plant Metabolites on the Growth of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-19) Including Omicron Strain

According to recent reports out of India, a new strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) B1.1.529 Omicron virus has emerged. In comparison to the Wuhan (WHU) strain and the delta variant, this variant showed a far stronger effect on the angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) receptor. There are several medicinal compounds in plant metabolites, and their diverse chemical structures make them ideal for the treatment of serious illnesses. It's possible that some of these could be useful alternative pharmaceuticals, as well as a starting point for the repurposing of existing medications and new chemical discoveries. SARS-CoV-2 infection triggered a worldwide epidemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). There have been trials for different therapies for SARS-CoV-2 and so also there are recent announcements of extensive research into the development of viable medicines for this global health calamity. After a thorough examination of plant-derived treatments for COVID-19, investigators in the current study decided to focus on plant-derived secondary metabolites (PSMs). According to some researchers, new MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant) antibiotics may one day be developed due to the adaptability of secondary metabolites. Identifying plant metabolites that can treat a wide range of viral infections was one of the study's aims. Many natural medications that could be recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 were discovered as a result of this research, including remedies from plant families, viral candidates that are susceptible, antiviral assays, and mechanisms of therapeutic action. The findings of this study will inspire further research and speed up the development of new antiviral plant-based medications.

Isolation and Characterization of Werneria Chromene and Dihydroxyacidissimol from Burkillanthus malaccensis (Ridl.) Swingle

The secondary metabolites of endemic plants from the Rutaceae family, such as Burkillanthusmalaccensis (Ridl.) Swingle from the rainforest of Malaysia, has not been studied. Burkillanthusmalaccensis (Ridl.) Swingle may produce antibacterial and antibiotic-potentiating secondary metabolites. Hexane, chloroform, and methanol extracts of leaves, bark, wood, pericarps, and endocarps were tested against bacteria by broth microdilution assay and their antibiotic-potentiating activities. Chromatographic separations of hexane extracts of seeds were conducted to investigate effective phytochemicals and their antibacterial activities. Molecular docking studies of werneria chromene and dihydroxyacidissiminol against SARS-CoV-2 virus infection were conducted using AutoDock Vina. The methanol extract of bark inhibited the growth of Staphylococcusaureus, Escherichiacoli, and Pseudomonasaeruginosa with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 250, 500, and 250 µg/mL, respectively. The chloroform extract of endocarps potentiated the activity of imipenem against imipenem-resistant Acinetobacterbaumannii. The hexane extract of seeds increased the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa against ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. The hexane extract of seeds and chloroform extract of endocarps were chromatographed, yielding werneria chromene and dihydroxyacidissiminol. Werneria chromene was bacteriostatic for P.aeruginosa and P.putida, with MIC/MBC values of 1000 > 1000 µg/mL. Dihydroxyacidissiminol showed the predicted binding energies of −8.1, −7.6, −7.0, and −7.5 kcal/mol with cathepsin L, nsp13 helicase, SARS-CoV-2 main protease, and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain S-RBD. Burkillanthusmalaccensis (Ridl.) Swingle can be a potential source of natural products with antibiotic-potentiating activity and that are anti-SARS-CoV-2.

The Role of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants against Obesity and Arthritis: A Review

Obesity is a significant health concern, as it causes a massive cascade of chronic inflammations and multiple morbidities. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are chronic inflammatory conditions and often manifest as comorbidities of obesity. Adipose tissues serve as a reservoir of energy as well as releasing several inflammatory cytokines (including IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) that stimulate low-grade chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, fatty liver disease, oxidative stress, and chronic kidney diseases. Dietary intake, low physical activity, unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, and genetic and environmental factors can influence obesity and arthritis. Current arthritis management using modern medicines produces various adverse reactions. Medicinal plants have been a significant part of traditional medicine, and various plants and phytochemicals have shown effectiveness against arthritis and obesity; however, scientifically, this traditional plant-based treatment option needs validation through proper clinical trials and toxicity tests. In addition, essential oils obtained from aromatic plants are being widely used as for complementary therapy (e.g., aromatherapy, smelling, spicing, and consumption with food) against arthritis and obesity; scientific evidence is necessary to support their effectiveness. This review is an attempt to understand the pathophysiological connections between obesity and arthritis, and describes treatment options derived from medicinal, spice, and aromatic plants.

Alpinetin: A Review of Its Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics

Flavonoids isolated from medicinal herbs have been utilized as valuable health-care agents due to their virous biological applications. Alpinetin is a natural flavonoid that emerges in many widely used medicinal plants, and has been frequently applied in Chinese patent drugs. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that alpinetin possesses a broad range of pharmacological activities such as antitumor, antiinflammation, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, lung protective, antibacterial, antiviral, neuroprotective, and other properties through regulating multiple signaling pathways with low systemic toxicity. However, pharmacokinetic studies have documented that alpinetin may have poor oral bioavailability correlated to its extensive glucuronidation. Currently, the reported pharmacological properties and pharmacokinetics profiles of alpinetin are rare to be scientifically reviewed. In this article, we aimed to highlight the mechanisms of action of alpinetin in various diseases to strongly support its curative potentials for prospective clinical applications. We also summarized the pharmacokinetics properties and proposed some viable strategies to convey an appreciable reference for future advances of alpinetin in drug development.

Does Oxidative Stress Management Help Alleviation of COVID-19 Symptoms in Patients Experiencing Diabetes?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 virus causes novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with other comorbidities such as diabetes. Diabetes is the most common cause of diabetic nephropathy, which is attributed to hyperglycemia. COVID-19 produces severe complications in people with diabetes mellitus. This article explains how SARS-CoV-2 causes more significant kidney damage in diabetic patients. Importantly, COVID-19 and diabetes share inflammatory pathways of disease progression. SARS-CoV-2 binding with ACE-2 causes depletion of ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) from blood vessels, and subsequently, angiotensin-II interacts with angiotensin receptor-1 from vascular membranes that produce NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen phosphate) oxidase, oxidative stress, and constriction of blood vessels. Since diabetes and COVID-19 can create oxidative stress, we hypothesize that COVID-19 with comorbidities such as diabetes can synergistically increase oxidative stress leading to end-stage renal failure and death. Antioxidants may therefore prevent renal damage-induced death by inhibiting oxidative damage and thus can help protect people from COVID-19 related comorbidities. A few clinical trials indicated how effective the antioxidant therapy is against improving COVID-19 symptoms, based on a limited number of patients who experienced COVID-19. In this review, we tried to understand how effective antioxidants (such as vitamin D and flavonoids) can act as food supplements or therapeutics against COVID-19 with diabetes as comorbidity based on recently available clinical, preclinical, or in silico studies.

Can Artemisia herba-alba Be Useful for Managing COVID-19 and Comorbidities?

The focus of this roadmap is to evaluate the possible efficacy of Artemisia herba-alba Asso. (Asteraceae) for the treatment of COVID-19 and some of its symptoms and several comorbidities using a combination of in silico (molecular docking) studies, reported ethnic uses, and pharmacological activity studies of this plant. In this exploratory study, we show that various phytochemicals from Artemisia herba-alba can be useful against COVID-19 (in silico studies) and for its associated comorbidities. COVID-19 is a new disease, so reports of any therapeutic treatments against it (traditional or conventional) are scanty. On the other hand, we demonstrate, using Artemisia herba-alba as an example, that through a proper search and identification of medicinal plant(s) and their phytochemicals identification using secondary data (published reports) on the plant's ethnic uses, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities against COVID-19 comorbidities and symptoms coupled with the use of primary data obtained from in silico (molecular docking and molecular dynamics) studies on the binding of the selected plant's phytochemicals (such as: rutin, 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and schaftoside) with various vital components of SARS-CoV-2, it may be possible to rapidly identify plants that are suitable for further research regarding therapeutic use against COVID-19 and its associated symptoms and comorbidities.

Precision and Advanced Nano-Phytopharmaceuticals for Therapeutic Applications

Phytopharmaceuticals have been widely used globally since ancient times and acknowledged by healthcare professionals and patients for their superior therapeutic value and fewer side-effects compared to modern medicines. However, phytopharmaceuticals need a scientific and methodical approach to deliver their components and thereby improve patient compliance and treatment adherence. Dose reduction, improved bioavailability, receptor selective binding, and targeted delivery of phytopharmaceuticals can be likely achieved by molding them into specific nano-formulations. In recent decades, nanotechnology-based phytopharmaceuticals have emerged as potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. Nanotechnology combined with phytopharmaceuticals broadens the therapeutic perspective and overcomes problems associated with plant medicine. The current review highlights the therapeutic application of various nano-phytopharmaceuticals in neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gastro-intestinal disorders. We conclude that nano-phytopharmaceuticals emerge as promising therapeutics for many pathological conditions with good compliance and higher acceptance.