Potential contribution of beneficial microbes to face the COVID-19 pandemic

Multidisciplinary advances in kombucha fermentation, health efficacy, and market evolution

Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, has seen a significant rise in global popularity. This increase is attributed to its reported health benefits and extensive cultural heritage. The comprehensive review examines kombucha through microbiology, biochemistry, and health sciences, highlighting its therapeutic potential and commercial viability. Central to kombucha production is the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY), which regulates a complex fermentation process, resulting in a bioactive-rich elixir. The study examines the microbial dynamics of SCOBY, emphasizing the roles of various microorganisms. It focuses the contributions of acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and osmophilic yeasts, including genera such as Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, Brettanomyces/Dekkera, and Pichia. These microorganisms play crucial roles in producing bioactive compounds, including organic acids, polyphenols, and vitamins. These bioactive compounds confer therapeutic properties to kombucha. These properties include antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, cancer prevention, hepatoprotective, and detoxifying effects. The review also explores the growing market for kombucha, driven by consumer demand for functional beverages and opportunities for innovative product development. It emphasizes the necessity of standardized production to ensure safety and validate health claims. Identifying research gaps, the review highlights the importance of clinical trials to verify therapeutic benefits. Ultimately, this study integrates traditional knowledge with scientific research, providing directions for future studies and commercial expansion, emphasizing the role of kombucha in health and wellness.

Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE modulate anti-viral function of dendritic cells in mice

GUANKE is a Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from the feces of healthy volunteer. We have previously shown that GUANKE enhances the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and prolongs the duration of vaccine protection by upregulating the IFN pathway and T and B lymphocyte functions of the host. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects and mechanism of oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE in the influenza (A virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34) infection mouse model. In our experiment, oral administration of GUANKE significantly decreased viral load and increased tight junction proteins expression in lung tissues of influenza-infected mice. After GUANKE was co-cultured with mBMDCs in vitro, mBMDCs' maturity and antiviral ability were enhanced, and matured mBMDCs induced polarization of naïve CD4+ T cells into T helper (Th) 1 cells. Adoptive transfer of GUANKE-treated mBMDCs could protect mice from influenza infections. This study suggests that oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE could provide protection against influenza infection in mice, and this protective effect may be mediated, at least in part, by dendritic cells.

Dynamic changes of Bacterial Microbiomes in Oropharynx during Infection and Recovery of COVID-19 Omicron Variant

Oropharyngeal microbiomes play a significant role in the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, yet the role of these microbiomes play for the development of COVID-19 Omicron variant have not been reported. A total of 791 pharyngeal swab samples were prospectively included in this study, including 297 confirmed cases of Omicron variant (CCO), 222 confirmed case of Omicron who recovered (CCOR), 73 confirmed cases of original strain (CCOS) and 199 healthy controls (HC). All samples completed MiSeq sequencing. The results showed that compared with HC, conditional pathogens increased in CCO, while acid-producing bacteria decreased. Based on six optimal oropharyngeal operational taxonomy units (OTUs), we constructed a marker microbial classifier to distinguish between patients with Omicron variant and healthy people, and achieved high diagnostic efficiency in both the discovery queue and the verification queue. At same time, we introduced a group of cross-age infection verification cohort and Omicron variant subtype XBB.1.5 branch, which can be accurately distinguished by this diagnostic model. We also analyzed the characteristics of oropharyngeal microbiomes in two subgroups of Omicron disease group-severity of infection and vaccination times, and found that the change of oropharyngeal microbiomes may affect the severity of the disease and the efficacy of the vaccine. In addition, we found that some genera with significant differences gradually increased or decreased with the recovery of Omicron variant infection. The results of Spearman analysis showed that 27 oropharyngeal OTUs were closely related to 6 clinical indexes in CCO and HC. Finally, we found that the Omicron variant had different characterization of oropharyngeal microbiomes from the original strain. Our research characterizes oropharyngeal microbiomes of Omicron variant cases and rehabilitation cases, successfully constructed and verified the non-invasive diagnostic model of Omicron variant, described the correlation between microbial OTUs and clinical indexes. It was found that the infection of Omicron variant and the infection of original strain have different characteristics of oropharyngeal microbiomes.

What Makes the Gut-Lung Axis Working? From the Perspective of Microbiota and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background

An increasing number of studies have proved that gut microbiota is involved in the occurrence and development of various lung diseases and can interact with the diseased lung. The concept of the gut-lung axis (GLA) provides a new idea for the subsequent clinical treatment of lung diseases through human microbiota. This review aims to summarize the microbiota in the lung and gut and the interaction between them from the perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine.

Method

We conducted a literature search by using the search terms "GLA," "gut microbiota," "spleen," and "Chinese medicine" in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI. We then explored the mechanism of action of the gut-lung axis from traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine.

Results

The lung and gut microbiota enable the GLA to function through immune regulation, while metabolites of the gut microbiota also play an important role. The spleen can improve the gut microbiota to achieve the regulation of the GLA.

Conclusion

Improving the gut microbiota through qi supplementation and spleen fortification provides a new approach to the clinical treatment of lung diseases by regulating the GLA. Currently, our understanding of the GLA is limited, and more research is needed to explain its working principle.

Synbiotic Sapota-do-Solimões (Quararibea cordata Vischer) Juice Improves Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in an In Vitro Model

Sapota-do-Solimões (Quararibea cordata Vischer) is Amazon South América fruit found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The orange-yellow fruit is usually eaten out of hand or as juice. Despite being a source of carotenoids and dietary fibers (pectin) that can reach the colon and act as an energy source for intestinal microbiota, the fruit is rarely known outside of South America. The symbiotic juice was prepared by fermenting the fruit juice with Lacticaseibacillus casei B-442 and adding prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS, 7% w/v). This study evaluated the functional juice immediately after L. casei fermentation (SSJ0) and after 30 days of cold storage (SSJ30) regarding its effect on human colonic microbiota composition after in vitro fermentation. Fecal samples were collected from two healthy female volunteers, and the 16s rRNA gene sequencing analyzed the fecal microbiota composition. In vitro, colonic fermentation was performed using a batch bioreactor to simulate gastrointestinal conditions. The L. casei viability did not change significantly after 30 days of the synbiotic juice cold storage (4 °C). After the colonic fermentation, the relative abundance of Firmicutes decreased while Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased. Regarding short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by fecal colonic microbiota, the butyric acid was higher after sample SSJ0 fecal fermentation. In contrast, propionic, isobutyric, and acetic acids were higher after SSJ30 sample fecal fermentation. This study contributes to understanding the interactions between specific foods and the gut microbiota, which can affect human health and well-being.

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening immunity as a nonpharmaceutical intervention: A major public health challenge

Background and Aims

The global Coronavirus-2 outbreak has emerged as a significant threat to majority of individuals around the world. The most effective solution for addressing this viral outbreak is through vaccination. Simultaneously, the virus's mutation capabilities pose a potential risk to the effectiveness of both vaccines and, in certain instances, newly developed drugs. Conversely, the human body's immune system exhibits a robust ability to combat viral outbreaks with substantial confidence, as evidenced by the ratio of fatalities to affected individuals worldwide. Hence, an alternative strategy to mitigate this pandemic could involve enhancing the immune system's resilience.

Methods

The research objective of the review is to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the role of inflammation and immunity in COVID-19. The pertinent literature concerning immune system functions, the impact of inflammation against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and the connection between nutritional interventions, inflammation, and immunity was systematically explored.

Results

Enhancing immune function involves mitigating the impact of key factors that negatively influence the immune response. Strengthening the immune system against emerging diseases can be achieved through nonpharmaceutical measures such as maintaining a balanced nutrition, engaging in regular exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and managing stress.

Conclusion

This review aims to convey the significance of and provide recommendations for immune-strengthening strategies amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Targeted Application of Functional Foods as Immune Fitness Boosters in the Defense against Viral Infection

In recent times, the emergence of viral infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the monkeypox virus, and, most recently, the Langya virus, has highlighted the devastating effects of viral infection on human life. There has been significant progress in the development of efficacious vaccines for the prevention and control of viruses; however, the high rates of viral mutation and transmission necessitate the need for novel methods of control, management, and prevention. In recent years, there has been a shift in public awareness on health and wellbeing, with consumers making significant dietary changes to improve their immunity and overall health. This rising health awareness is driving a global increase in the consumption of functional foods. This review delves into the benefits of functional foods as potential natural means to modulate the host immune system to enhance defense against viral infections. We provide an overview of the functional food market in Europe and discuss the benefits of enhancing immune fitness in high-risk groups, including the elderly, those with obesity, and people with underlying chronic conditions. We also discuss the immunomodulatory mechanisms of key functional foods, including dairy proteins and hydrolysates, plant-based functional foods, fermentates, and foods enriched with vitamin D, zinc, and selenium. Our findings reveal four key immunity boosting mechanisms by functional foods, including inhibition of viral proliferation and binding to host cells, modulation of the innate immune response in macrophages and dendritic cells, enhancement of specific immune responses in T cells and B cells, and promotion of the intestinal barrier function. Overall, this review demonstrates that diet-derived nutrients and functional foods show immense potential to boost viral immunity in high-risk individuals and can be an important approach to improving overall immune health.

Effect of probiotics as an immune modulator for the management of COVID-19

COVID-19, an acute respiratory viral infection conveyed by pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of individuals globally, and is a public health emergency of international concern. Till now, there are no highly effective therapies for this infection without vaccination. As they can evolve quickly and cross the strain level easily, these viruses are causing epidemics or pandemics that are allied with more severe clinical diseases. A new approach is needed to improve immunity to confirm the protection against emerging viral infections. Probiotics can modify gut microbial dysbiosis, improve the host immune system, and stimulate immune signaling, increasing systemic immunity. Several probiotic bacterial therapies have been proven to decrease the period of bacterial or viral infections. Superinduction of inflammation, termed cytokine storm, has been directly linked with pneumonia and severe complications of viral respiratory infections. In this case, probiotics as potential immunomodulatory agents can be an appropriate candidate to improve the host's response to respiratory viral infections. During this COVID-19 pandemic, any approach that can induce mucosal and systemic immunity could be helpful. Here, we summarize contexts regarding the effectiveness of various probiotics for preventing virus-induced respiratory infectious diseases, especially those that could be employed for COVID-19 patients. In addition, the effects of probiotics, their mechanisms on different aspects of immune responses against respiratory viral infection, and their antiviral properties in clinical findings have been described in detail.

Probiotic therapy, African fermented foods and food-derived bioactive peptides in the management of SARS-CoV-2 cases and other viral infections

The current paper focuses on the impact of probiotics, African fermented foods and bioactive peptides on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection severity and related viral infections. Using probiotics or bioactive peptides as therapeutic adjuncts appears superior to standard care alone. Probiotics play critical roles in innate and adaptive immune modulation by balancing the gut microbiota to combat viral infections, secondary bacterial infections and microbial dysbiosis. African fermented foods contain abundant potential probiotic microorganisms such as the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Saccharomyces, and Bacillus. More so, fermented food-derived bioactive peptides play vital roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, lung injury, diabetes, and other COVID-19 comorbidities. Regularly incorporating potential probiotics and bioactive peptides into diets should enable a build-up of the benefits in the body system that may result in a better prognosis, especially in COVID-19 patients with underlying complexities. Despite the reported therapeutic potentials of probiotics and fermented foods, numerous setbacks exist regarding their application in disease management. These shortfalls underscore an evident need for more studies to evaluate the specific potentials of probiotics and traditional fermented foods in ameliorating SARS-CoV-2 and other viral infections.

Gut microbiota and synbiotic foods: Unveiling the relationship in COVID-19 perspective

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread across the globe and is causing widespread disaster. The impact of gut microbiota on lung disease has been widely documented. Diet, environment, and genetics all play a role in shaping the gut microbiota, which can influence the immune system. Improving the gut microbiota profile through customized diet, nutrition, and supplementation has been shown to boost immunity, which could be one of the preventative methods for reducing the impact of various diseases. Poor nutritional status is frequently linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can affect the immune system. This review emphasizes the necessity of maintaining an adequate level of important nutrients to effectively minimize inflammation and oxidative stress, moreover to strengthen the immune system during the COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, the purpose of this review is to present information and viewpoints on the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics as adjuvants for microbiota modification and its effects on COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

An overview on role of nutrition on COVID-19 immunity: Accumulative review from available studies

The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) conveys a serious global threat to health and economy. A common predisposing factor for development to serious progressive disease is presence of a low-grade inflammation, e.g., as seen in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart failure. Micronutrient deficiencies may also contribute to the development of this state. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explore the role of the nutrition to relieve progression of COVID-19. According PRISMA protocol, we conducted an online databases search including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and web of science for published literatures in the era of COVID-19 Outbreak regarding to the status of nutrition and COVID-19 until December 2021. There were available studies (80 studies) providing direct evidence regarding the associations between the status of nutrition and COVID-19 infection. Adequate nutritional supply is essential for resistance against other viral infections and also for improvement of immune function and reduction of inflammation. Hence, it is suggested that nutritional intervention which secures an adequate status might protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - coronavirus-2) and mitigate its course. We also recommend initiation of adequate nutritional supplementation in high-risk areas and/or soon after the time of suspected infection with SARS-CoV-2. Subjects in high-risk groups should have high priority for applying this nutritive adjuvant therapy that should be started prior to administration of specific and supportive medical measures.

Nasal Microbiome in COVID-19: A Potential Role of Corynebacterium in Anosmia

The evolution and the development of the symptoms of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) are due to different factors, where the microbiome plays a relevant role. The possible relationships between the gut, lung, nasopharyngeal, and oral microbiome with COVID-19 have been investigated. We analyzed the nasal microbiome of both positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 individuals, showing differences in terms of bacterial composition in this niche of respiratory tract. The microbiota solution A (Arrow Diagnostics) was used to cover the hypervariable V1-V3 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. MicrobAT Suite and MicrobiomeAnalyst program were used to identify the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and to perform the statistical analysis, respectively. The main taxa identified in nasal microbiome of COVID-19 patients and in Healthy Control subjects belonged to three distinct phyla: Proteobacteria (HC = 14%, Cov19 = 35.8%), Firmicutes (HC = 28.8%, Cov19 = 30.6%), and Actinobacteria (HC = 56.7%, Cov19 = 14.4%) with a relative abundance > 1% in all groups. A significant reduction of Actinobacteria in Cov19 group compared to controls (P < 0.001, FDR = 0.01) was found. The significant reduction of Actinobacteria was identified in all taxonomic levels down to the genus (P < 0.01) using the ANOVA test. Indeed, a significantly reduced relative abundance of Corynebacterium was found in the patients compared to healthy controls (P = 0.001). Reduced abundance of Corynebacterium has been widely associated with anosmia, a common symptom of COVID-19 as suffered from our patients. Contrastingly, the Corynebacterium genus was highly represented in the nasal mucosa of healthy subjects. Further investigations on larger cohorts are necessary to establish functional relationships between nasal microbiota content and clinical features of COVID-19.

Artificial intelligence-based approaches for traditional fermented alcoholic beverages' development: review and prospect

Traditional fermented alcoholic beverages (TFABs) have gained widespread acceptance and enjoyed great popularity for centuries. COVID-19 pandemics lead to the surge in health demand for diet, thus TFABs once again attract increased focus for the health benefits. Though the production technology is quite mature, food companies and research institutions are looking for transformative innovation in TFABs to make healthy, nutritious offerings that give a competitive advantage in current beverage market. The implementation of intelligent platforms enables companies and researchers to gather, store and analyze data in a more convenient way. The development of data collection methods contributed to the big data environment of TFABs, providing a fresh perspective that helps brewers to observe and improve the production steps. Among data analytical tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered to be one of the most promising methodological approaches for big data analytics and decision-making of automated production, and machine learning (ML) is an important method to fulfill the goal. This review describes the development trends and challenges of TFABs in big data era and summarize the application of AI-based methods in TFABs. Finally, we provide perspectives on the potential research directions of new frontiers in application of AI approaches in the supply chain of TFABs.

Lactic Acid Bacteria as Mucosal Immunity Enhancers and Antivirals through Oral Delivery

Mucosal vaccination offer an advantage over systemic inoculation from the immunological viewpoint. The development of an efficient vaccine is now a priority for emerging diseases such as COVID-19, that was declared a pandemic in 2020 and caused millions of deaths globally. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) especially Lactobacillus are the vital microbiota of the gut, which is observed as having valuable effects on animals’ and human health. LAB produce lactic acid as the major by-product of carbohydrate degradation and play a significant role in innate immunity enhancement. LAB have significant characteristics to mimic pathogen infections and intrinsically possess adjuvant properties to enhance mucosal immunity. Increasing demand and deliberations are being substantially focused on probiotic organisms that can enhance mucosal immunity against viral diseases. LAB can also strengthen their host’s antiviral defense system by producing antiviral peptides, and releasing metabolites that prevent viral infections and adhesion to mucosal surfaces. From the perspectives of “one health” and the use of probiotics, conventional belief has opened up a new horizon on the use of LAB as antivirals. The major interest of this review is to depict the beneficial use of LAB as antivirals and mucosal immunity enhancers against viral diseases.

Introduction to Traditional Medicine and Their Role in Prevention and Treatment of Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases

Infectious diseases have been a threat to human health globally. The relentless efforts and research have enabled us to overcome most of the diseases through the use of antiviral and antibiotic agents discovered and employed. Unfortunately, the microorganisms have the capability to adapt and mutate over time and antibiotic and antiviral resistance ensues. There are many challenges in treating infections such as failure of the microorganisms to respond to the therapeutic agents, which has led to more chronic infections, complications, and preventable loss of life. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration is warranted to create more potent, effective, and versatile therapies to prevent and eradicate the old and newly emerging diseases. In the recent past, natural medicine has proven its effectiveness against various illnesses. Most of the pharmaceutical agents currently used can trace their origin to the natural products in one way, shape, or form. The full potential of natural products is yet to be realized, as numerous natural resources have not been explored and analyzed. This merits continuous support in research and analysis of ancient treatment systems to explore their full potential and employ them as an alternative or principal therapy.

Probiotics: A gut response to the COVID-19 pandemic but what does the evidence show?

Since the global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), research has focused on understanding the etiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Identifying and developing prophylactic and therapeutics strategies to manage the pandemic is still of critical importance. Among potential targets, the role of the gut and lung microbiomes in COVID-19 has been questioned. Consequently, probiotics were touted as potential prophylactics and therapeutics for COVID-19. In this review we highlight the role of the gut and lung microbiome in COVID-19 and potential mechanisms of action of probiotics. We also discuss the progress of ongoing clinical trials for COVID-19 that aim to modulate the microbiome using probiotics in an effort to develop prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. To date, despite the large interest in this area of research, there is promising but limited evidence to suggest that probiotics are an effective prophylactic or treatment strategy for COVID-19. However, the role of the microbiome in pathogenesis and as a potential target for therapeutics of COVID-19 cannot be discounted.

Are Nutraceuticals Effective in COVID-19 and Post-COVID Prevention and Treatment?

The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? After two years mastered by coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, we are now witnessing a turnaround. The reduction of severe cases and deaths from COVID-19 led to increasing importance of a new disease called post-COVID syndrome. The term post-COVID is used to indicate permanency of symptoms in patients who have recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Immune, antiviral, antimicrobial therapies, as well as ozone therapy have been used to treat COVID-19 disease. Vaccines have then become available and administered worldwide to prevent the insurgence of the disease. However, the pandemic is not over yet at all given the emergence of new omicron variants. New therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In this view, great interest was found in nutraceutical products, including vitamins (C, D, and E), minerals (zinc), melatonin, probiotics, flavonoids (quercetin), and curcumin. This review summarizes the role of nutraceuticals in the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 disease and post-COVID syndrome.

Microbiome systems biology advancements for natural well-being

Throughout the years all data from epidemiological, physiological and omics have suggested that the microbial communities play a considerable role in modulating human health. The population of microorganisms residing in the human intestine collectively known as microbiota presents a genetic repertoire that is higher in magnitude than the human genome. They play an essential role in host immunity and neuronal signaling. Rapid enhancement of sequence based screening and development of humanized gnotobiotic model has sparked a great deal of interest among scientists to probe the dynamic interactions of the commensal bacteria. This review focuses on systemic analysis of the gut microbiome to decipher the complexity of the host-microbe intercommunication and gives a special emphasis on the evolution of targeted precision medicine through microbiome engineering. In addition, we have also provided a comprehensive description of how interconnection between metabolism and biochemical reactions in a specific organism can be obtained from a metabolic network or a flux balance analysis and combining multiple datasets helps in the identification of a particular metabolite. The review highlights how genetic modification of the critical components and programming the resident microflora can be employed for targeted precision medicine. Inspite of the ongoing debate on the utility of gut microbiome we have explored on the probable new therapeutic avenues like FMT (Fecal microbiota transplant) can be utilized. This review also recapitulates integrating human-relevant 3D cellular models coupled with computational models and the metadata obtained from interventional and epidemiological studies may decipher the complex interactome of diet-microbiota-disease pathophysiology. In addition, it will also open new avenues for the development of therapeutics derived from microbiome or implementation of personalized nutrition. In addition, the identification of biomarkers can also help towards the development of new diagnostic tools and eventually will lead to strategic management of the disease. Inspite of the ongoing debate on the utility of the gut microbiome we have explored how probable new therapeutic avenues like FMT (Fecal microbiota transplant) can be utilized. This review also summarises integrating human-relevant 3D cellular models coupled with computational models and the metadata obtained from interventional and epidemiological studies may decipher the complex interactome of diet- microbiota-disease pathophysiology. In addition, it will also open new avenues for the development of therapeutics derived from the microbiome or implementation of personalized nutrition. In addition, the identification of biomarkers can also help towards the development of new diagnostic tools and eventually will lead to strategic management of disease.

Applications of Probiotic-Based Multi-Components to Human, Animal and Ecosystem Health: Concepts, Methodologies, and Action Mechanisms

Probiotics and related preparations, including synbiotics and postbiotics, are living and non-living microbial-based multi-components, which are now among the most popular bioactive agents. Such interests mainly arise from the wide range and numerous beneficial effects of their use for various hosts. The current minireview article attempts to provide an overview and discuss in a holistic way the concepts, methodologies, action mechanisms, and applications of probiotic-based multi-components in human, animal, plant, soil, and environment health. Probiotic-based multi-component preparations refer to a mixture of bioactive agents, containing probiotics or postbiotics as main functional ingredients, and prebiotics, protectants, stabilizers, encapsulating agents, and other compounds as additional constituents. Analyzing, characterizing, and monitoring over time the traceability, performance, and stability of such multi-component ingredients require relevant and sensitive analytical tools and methodologies. Two innovative profiling and monitoring methods, the thermophysical fingerprinting thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry technique (TGA-DSC) of the whole multi-component powder preparations, and the Advanced Testing for Genetic Composition (ATGC) strain analysis up to the subspecies level, are presented, illustrated, and discussed in this review to respond to those requirements. Finally, the paper deals with some selected applications of probiotic-based multi-components to human, animal, plant, soil and environment health, while mentioning their possible action mechanisms.

Overview of Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the ongoing pandemic named COVID-19 which causes a serious emergency on public health hazards of international concern. In the face of a critical medical emergency, repositioning of drugs is one of the most authentic options to design an adequate treatment for infected patients immediately. In this strategy, Remdesivir (Veklury), Hydroxychloroquine appears to be the drug of choice and garnered unprecedented attention as potential therapeutic agents against the pandemic realized worldwide due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. These are the breathtaking instances of possible repositioning of drugs, whose pharmacokinetics and optimal dosage are familiar. In this review, we provide an overview of these medications, their synthesis, and the possible mechanism of action against SARS-CoV-2.

Recent advances in antiviral effects of probiotics: potential mechanism study in prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), progressively extended worldwide countries on an epidemic scale. Along with all the drug treatments suggested to date, currently, there are no approved management protocols and treatment regimens for SARS-CoV-2. The unavailability of optimal medication and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 indicates the requirement for alternative therapies. Probiotics are living organisms that deliberate beneficial effects on the host when used sufficiently and in adequate amounts, and fermented food is their rich source. Probiotics affect viruses by antiviral mechanisms and reduce diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. At this point, we comprehensively evaluated the antiviral effects of probiotics and their mechanism with a particular focus on SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we suggested the conceptual and potential mechanisms of probiotics by which they could exhibit antiviral properties against SARS-CoV-2, according to the previous evidence concerning the mechanism of antiviral effects of probiotics. This study reviewed recent studies that speculate about the role of probiotics in the prevention of the SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm through the mechanisms such as induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10), downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6), inhibition of JAK signaling pathway, and act as HDAC inhibitor. Also, the recent clinical trials and their outcome have been reviewed.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Seafood Safety and Human Health

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused several negative impacts on global human health and the world's economy. Food and seafood safety and security were among the principal challenges and causes of concern for the food industry and consumers during the spread of this global pandemic. This article focused on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on potential safety issues with seafood products and their processing methods. Moreover, the potential impacts of coronavirus transmission through seafood on human health were evaluated. The role of authenticity, traceability, and antimicrobials from natural sources to preserve seafood and the possible interaction of functional foods on the human immune system are also discussed. Although seafood is not considered a principal vector of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the possible infections through contaminated surfaces of such food products cannot be neglected. The positive effects of seafood consumption on possible immunity built up, and COVID-19 are also summarized.

Modifiable Host Factors for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: Diet and Lifestyle/Diet and Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of COVID-19

Many studies have shown that the immune system requires adequate nutrition to work at an optimal level. Not only do optimized nutritional strategies support the immune system, but they also reduce chronic inflammation. Nutritional supplements that are recommended for patients with critical illnesses are thought to also be effective for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the intensive care unit. Some studies have recommended fresh fruits and vegetables, soy, nuts, and antioxidants, such as omega-3 fatty acids, to improve immune system activity. Although nutritional status is considered to be an important prognostic factor for patients with COVID-19, there is to date no sufficient evidence that optimal nutritional therapies can be beneficial for these patients. Some have argued that the COVID-19 pandemic is a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of nutritional intervention for infectious diseases. Many researchers have suggested that testing the proposed nutritional approaches for infectious diseases in the context of a pandemic would be highly informative. The authors of other review papers concluded that it is important to have a diet based on fresh foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and healthy fats (i.e., olive oil and fish oil), and to limit the intake of sugary drinks as well as high-calorie and high-salt foods. In this review, we discuss the clinical significance of functional food ingredients as complementary therapies potentially beneficial for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. We believe that our review will be helpful to plan and deploy future studies to conclude these potentials against COVID-19, but also to new infectious diseases that may arise in the future.

Functional Microbes and Their Incorporation into Foods and Food Supplements: Probiotics and Postbiotics

Life expectancy has dramatically increased over the past 200 years, but modern life factors such as environmental exposure, antibiotic overuse, C-section deliveries, limited breast-feeding, and diets poor in fibers and microbes could be associated with the rise of noncommunicable diseases such as overweight, obesity, diabetes, food allergies, and colorectal cancer as well as other conditions such as mental disorders. Microbial interventions that range from transplanting a whole undefined microbial community from a healthy gut to an ill one, e.g., so-called fecal microbiota transplantation or vaginal seeding, to the administration of selected well-characterized microbes, either live (probiotics) or not (postbiotics), with efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials, may be effective tools to treat or prevent acute and chronic diseases that humans still face, enhancing the quality of life.

Nutrition and a Balanced Diet in the Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background:

Age is an important risk factor in the mortality ratio of the COVID-19 disease and mostly, the hospitalised patients over 60 years with chronic diseases are at high risk of death. With preventive measures, proper nutrient intake might be helpful to maintain a healthy state or reduce the severity of the COVID-19 disease in the elderly.

Methods:

Database searches of PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar and Web of Science were performed by the following terms of pandemic; COVID-19; coronavirus; elderly; elderly nutrition.

Results:

The requirement of some macro and micro nutrients increases especially the nutrients that support the immune activity. During the pandemic, the daily energy requirement for the elderly is stated as 27-30 kcal/kg while the protein intake is recommended as at least 1g/kg, and the ratio of fat and carbohydrate is 30:70 or 50:50. The daily intake of Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, zinc and selenium can also be increased due to their supporting function in the immune system. Probiotics such as Bifidobacterium longum MM-2, Lactobacillus plantarum 06CC2, Lactobacillus bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus M21 and the consumption of prebiotics in diet enhance the immune function. Additionally, flavonoids such as baicalin, epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, kaempferol, luteolin, resveratrol and quercetin improve immunity by reducing oxidative stress in the elderly.

Conclusion:

Adequate and balanced nutrition should be provided during the pandemic; in addition to this, micronutrient deficiencies should also be prevented in this period in the elderly at every stage of life.

Targeting the Pulmonary Microbiota to Fight against Respiratory Diseases

The mucosal immune system of the respiratory tract possesses an effective “defense barrier” against the invading pathogenic microorganisms; therefore, the lungs of healthy organisms are considered to be sterile for a long time according to the strong pathogens-eliminating ability. The emergence of next-generation sequencing technology has accelerated the studies about the microbial communities and immune regulating functions of lung microbiota during the past two decades. The acquisition and maturation of respiratory microbiota during childhood are mainly determined by the birth mode, diet structure, environmental exposure and antibiotic usage. However, the formation and development of lung microbiota in early life might affect the occurrence of respiratory diseases throughout the whole life cycle. The interplay and crosstalk between the gut and lung can be realized by the direct exchange of microbial species through the lymph circulation, moreover, the bioactive metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and lung microbiota can be changed via blood circulation. Complicated interactions among the lung microbiota, the respiratory viruses, and the host immune system can regulate the immune homeostasis and affect the inflammatory response in the lung. Probiotics, prebiotics, functional foods and fecal microbiota transplantation can all be used to maintain the microbial homeostasis of intestinal microbiota and lung microbiota. Therefore, various kinds of interventions on manipulating the symbiotic microbiota might be explored as novel effective strategies to prevent and control respiratory diseases.

Evidences and perspectives of the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics as adjuvants for prevention and treatment of COVID-19: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease transmitted by the virus responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which exhibit several clinical manifestations including gastrointestinal symptoms.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

This review aimed to provide insights and perspectives for the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics as adjuvants for prevention/treatment and/or modulation of the microbiota in COVID-19 patients. Eighty-four studies published in the Scopus database from the onset of the pandemic until December 2021 were assessed and submitted to a bibliometric analysis adapted from VOSviewer software.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Through bibliometric analysis, it might be suggested that the modulation of the gut/lung microbiome is promising as an adjuvant for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 patients, due to immunomodulation properties related to probiotics and prebiotics. So far, few clinical studies involving the application of probiotics in COVID-19 patients have been completed, but reduction in the duration of the disease and the severity of symptoms as fatigue, olfactory dysfunction and breathlessness, nausea and vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms were some of the main findings. However, probiotics are not recommended to immunocompromised patients in corticosteroid therapy. The future perspectives point to the modulation of the intestinal microbiota by probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics represent a promising adjuvant approach for improving the health of patients with COVID-19.

High Cell Density Culture of Dairy Propionibacterium sp. and Acidipropionibacterium sp.: A Review for Food Industry Applications

The dairy bacteria Propionibacterium sp. and Acidipropionibacterium sp. are versatile and potentially probiotic microorganisms showing outstanding functionalities for the food industry, such as the production of propionic acid and vitamin B12 biosynthesis. They are the only food grade microorganisms able to produce vitamin B12. However, the fermentation batch process using these bacteria present some bioprocess limitations due to strong end-product inhibition, cells slow-growing rates, low product titer, yields and productivities, which reduces the bioprocess prospects for industrial applications. The high cell density culture (HCDC) bioprocess system is known as an efficient approach to overcome most of those problems. The main techniques applied to achieve HCDC of dairy Propionibacterium are the fed-batch cultivation, cell recycling, perfusion, extractive fermentation, and immobilization. In this review, the techniques available and reported to achieve HCDC of Propionibacterium sp. and Acidipropionibacterium sp. are discussed, and the advantages and drawbacks of this system of cultivation in relation to biomass formation, vitamin B12 biosynthesis, and propionic acid production are evaluated.

SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine adjuvants and their signaling pathways

INTRODUCTION

Vaccines are the agreed upon weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses about COVID-19 subunit vaccines adjuvants and their signaling pathways, which could provide a glimpse into the selection of appropriate adjuvants for prospective vaccine development studies.

AREAS COVERED

In the introduction, a brief background about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the vaccine development race and classes of vaccine adjuvants were provided. . The antigen, trial stage, and types of adjuvants were extracted from the included articles and thun assimilated. Finally, the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), their classes, cognate adjuvants, and potential signaling pathways were comprehended.

EXPERT OPINION

Adjuvants are unsung heroes of subunit vaccines. The in silico studies are very vital in avoiding several costly trial errors and save much work times. The majority of the (pre)clinical studies are promising. It is encouraging that most of the selected adjuvants are novel. Much emphasis must be paid to the optimal paring of antigen-adjuvant-PRRs for obtaining the desired vaccine effect. A good subunit vaccine/adjuvant is one that has high efficacy, safety, dose sparing, and rapid seroconversion rate and broad spectrum of immune response. In the years to come, COVID-19 adjuvanted subunit vaccines are expected to have superior utility than any other vaccines for various reasons.

Intestinal microbiota composition of children with infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)

Microbiota composition may play a role in the development, prognosis, or post-infection of COVID-19. There are studies evaluating the microbiota composition at the time of diagnosis and during the course of COVID-19, especially in adults, while studies in children are limited and no study available in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This study was planned to compare intestinal microbiota composition in children diagnosed with MIS-C and acute COVID-19 infection with healthy children. In this prospective multicenter study, 25 children diagnosed with MIS-C, 20 with COVID-19 infection, and 19 healthy children were included. Intestinal microbiota composition was evaluated by 16 s rRNA gene sequencing. We observed changes of diversity, richness, and composition of intestinal microbiota in MIS-C cases compared to COVID-19 cases and in the healthy controls. The Shannon index was higher in the MIS-C group than the healthy controls (p < 0.01). At phylum level, in the MIS-C group, a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and lower abundance of Firmicutes was found compared to the control group. Intestinal microbiota composition changed in MIS-C cases compared to COVID-19 and healthy controls, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii decreased; Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides plebeius, Clostridium ramosum, Eubacterium dolichum, Eggerthella lenta, Bacillus thermoamylovorans, Prevotella tannerae, and Bacteroides coprophilus were dominant in children with MIS-C. At species level, we observed decreased Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and increased Eubacterium dolichum, Eggerthella lenta, and Bacillus thermoamylovorans in children with MIS-C and increased Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Dorea formicigenerasus in the COVID-19 group. Our study is the first to evaluate the microbiota composition in MIS-C cases. There is a substantial change in the composition of the gut microbiota: (1) reduction of F. prausnitzii in children with MIS-C and COVID-19; (2) an increase of Eggerthella lenta which is related with autoimmunity; and (3) the predominance of E. dolichum is associated with metabolic dysfunctions and obesity in children with MIS-C.

CONCLUSIONS

 Alterations of the intestinal microbiota might be part of pathogenesis of predisposing factor for MIS-C. It would be beneficial to conduct more extensive studies on the cause-effect relationship of these changes in microbiota composition and their effects on long-term prognosis.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Microbiota composition may play a role in the development, prognosis, or post-infection of COVID-19.  • However, the number of studies on children is limited, and no study on multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is currently available (MIS-C).

WHAT IS NEW

• In individuals with MIS-C, the composition of the gut microbiota changed dramatically. • Decreased Faecalibacterium prausnitzii have been observed, increased Eggerthella lenta, which was previously linked to autoimmunity, and predominance of Eubacterium dolichum which was linked to metabolic dysfunction and obesity.

Common Inflammatory Mechanisms in COVID-19 and Parkinson's Diseases: The Role of Microbiome, Pharmabiotics and Postbiotics in Their Prevention

In the last decade, metagenomic studies have shown the key role of the gut microbiome in maintaining immune and neuroendocrine systems. Malfunction of the gut microbiome can induce inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and cytokine storm. Dysfunction of the gut microbiome can be caused by short-term (virus infection and other infectious diseases) or long-term (environment, nutrition, and stress) factors. Here, we reviewed the inflammation and oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases and coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Here, we reviewed the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) involved in the processes of formation of oxidative stress and inflammation in viral and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the coronavirus uses ACE2 receptors of the RAAS to penetrate human cells. The coronavirus infection can be the trigger for neurodegenerative diseases by dysfunction of the RAAS. Pharmabiotics, postbiotics, and next-generation probiotics, are considered as a means to prevent oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, neurodegenerative and viral diseases through gut microbiome regulation.

Chronic consumption of food-additives lead to changes via microbiota gut-brain axis

Some food additives have demonstrated to induce dysbiosis leading to the development gut and gastrointestinal diseases. In order to clarify how this dysbiosis affects the microbiota gut-brain axis, a systematic interpretative literature review is carried out in this work. This review was made in seven academic search engines using the keywords shown below. The main finding of this work is a clear link between the changes in the gut microbiota promoted by food additives and the causes that lead to many reported diseases related to chronic food additives consumption. Despite the findings, studies on the effects of food additives on microbiota are still insufficient. Therefore, this work should serve as a motivation for future research on this subject.

Probiotic Supplements: Their Strategies in the Therapeutic and Prophylactic of Human Life-Threatening Diseases

Chronic diseases and viral infections have threatened human life over the ages and constitute the main reason for increasing death globally. The rising burden of these diseases extends to negatively affecting the economy and trading globally, as well as daily life, which requires inexpensive, novel, and safe therapeutics. Therefore, scientists have paid close attention to probiotics as safe remedies to combat these morbidities owing to their health benefits and biotherapeutic effects. Probiotics have been broadly adopted as functional foods, nutraceuticals, and food supplements to improve human health and prevent some morbidity. Intriguingly, recent research indicates that probiotics are a promising solution for treating and prophylactic against certain dangerous diseases. Probiotics could also be associated with their essential role in animating the immune system to fight COVID-19 infection. This comprehensive review concentrates on the newest literature on probiotics and their metabolism in treating life-threatening diseases, including immune disorders, pathogens, inflammatory and allergic diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, and COVID-19 infection. The recent information in this report will particularly furnish a platform for emerging novel probiotics-based therapeutics as cheap and safe, encouraging researchers and stakeholders to develop innovative treatments based on probiotics to prevent and treat chronic and viral diseases.

Korean traditional foods as antiviral and respiratory disease prevention and treatments: A detailed review

BACKGROUND

Korean traditional food (KTF), originated from ancestral agriculture and the nomadic traditions of the Korean peninsula and southern Manchuria, is based on healthy food that balances disease prevention and treatment. Fermented foods that include grains, herbs, fruits, and mushrooms are also an important practice in KTF, providing high levels of Lactobacilli, which confer relevant health benefits, including antiviral properties. Some of these probiotics may also protect against the Influenza virus through the modulation of innate immunity.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

The emerging of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to other diseases of viral origin, and the problems associated with other respiratory disorders, highlight how essential is a healthy eating pattern to strengthen our immune system.Key Findings and Conclusions: The present review covers the information available on edible plants, herbs, mushrooms, and preparations used in KTF to outline their multiple medicinal effects (e.g., antidiabetic, chemopreventive, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial), emphasizing their role and effects on the immune system with an emphasis on modulating properties of the gut microbiota that further support strong respiratory immunity. Potential functional foods commonly used in Korean cuisine such as Kimchi (a mixture of fermented vegetables), Meju, Doenjang, Jeotgal, and Mekgeolli and fermented sauces, among others, are highlighted for their great potential to improve gut-lung immunity. The traditional Korean diet and dietary mechanisms that may target viruses ACE-2 receptors or affect any step of a virus infection pathway that can determine a patient's prognosis are also highlighted. The regular oral intake of bioactive ingredients used in Korean foods can offer protection for some viral diseases, through protective and immunomodulatory effects, as evidenced in pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Administration of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP101 in an Elderly Nursing Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immunological and Nutritional Impact

The elderly population living in nursing homes is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 although individual susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection may be related to the host microbiota. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP101 on the functional (Barthel index), cognitive (GDS/FAST), and nutritional (MNA) status as well as on the nasal and fecal inflammatory profiles of elderly residents living in a nursing home that is highly affected by COVID-19. A total of 25 residents participated in the trial, which involved the daily ingestion of a dairy product (L. salivarius MP101: 9.3 log10 CFU per unit) for 4 months. Nasal and fecal samples were analyzed for 37 immune factors at recruitment and at the end of the study. After the trial, no change in the GDS/FAST scores were found but, in contrast, the values for the Barthel index and the MNA score improved significantly. The concentrations of some immune factors changed significantly after the trial, including a decrease in the concentrations of BAFF/TNFSF13B, APRIL/TNFSF13, IL8, IL31, osteopontin, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2, and an increase in chitinase 3-like 1, IL19, IL35, and pentraxin 3 was also observed. In conclusion, L. salivarius MP101 seems to be a promising strain for improving or maintaining health in this highly vulnerable population.

Nutritional and lifestyle changes required for minimizing the recovery period in home quarantined COVID-19 patients of Punjab, Pakistan

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new battle in human history for a safe and fearless life. Therefore, this cross-sectional survey was conducted (Punjab, Pakistan) on healthy recovered, home quarantined COVID-19 patients to draw conclusive health support guidelines in the fight against this pandemic. COVID-19 recovered patients (n = 80) of age ≥14 years were randomly selected during the period November 2020 to February 2021. A nutrition and lifestyle changes questionnaire, containing ten sections and seventy questions, was completed through the telephone/WhatsApp. Data were transferred into an Excel spreadsheet and statistically analyzed by applying chi-square, correlation, and a t test of independent values using SPSS-16 software. The patients had an age range of 14 to 80 years, of which 52 (65%) were male and 28 (35%) were female, and 32 (40%) had a normal BMI. The patients had a peak COVID-19 recovery period of 2 weeks, and a mean recovery period of 2.8 ± 1.4 weeks. Certain variables, including gender (males), age (>40 years), sleep (≤5 hr), less/no physical activity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune diseases, were significantly associated with delayed recovery. Poor nutritional outcomes, including lower intakes of water, legumes, nuts, meat, and milk/yogurt; and higher consumption of fast/fried/junk/spicy foods and cold water/drinks, were also significantly associated with a longer recovery period. The results were similar for not taking daily doses of multivitamins, and vitamins C, D, E, and zinc. This study identified that staying physically active, maintaining sensible body weight, having a sleep of 7 hr, consuming more foods of plant origin especially plant-based proteins from nuts and legumes, taking supplemental doses of multivitamins, vitamin D, E, and zinc, along with drinking ≥2 L of water daily can provide a significant role in early and safe recovery from COVID-19.

Applications of laboratory findings in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of COVID-19

The worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents us with a serious public health crisis. To combat the virus and slow its spread, wider testing is essential. There is a need for more sensitive, specific, and convenient detection methods of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Advanced detection can greatly improve the ability and accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, which is conducive to the early suitable treatment and supports precise prophylaxis. In this article, we combine and present the latest laboratory diagnostic technologies and methods for SARS-CoV-2 to identify the technical characteristics, considerations, biosafety requirements, common problems with testing and interpretation of results, and coping strategies of commonly used testing methods. We highlight the gaps in current diagnostic capacity and propose potential solutions to provide cutting-edge technical support to achieve a more precise diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19 and to overcome the difficulties with the normalization of epidemic prevention and control.

Does chronic inflammation cause acute inflammation to spiral into hyper-inflammation in a manner modulated by diet and the gut microbiome, in severe Covid-19?

We propose that hyper-inflammation (HYPi) is a ''runaway'' consequence of acute inflammation (ACUi) that arises more easily (and also abates less easily) in those who host a pre-existing chronic inflammation (CHRi), because (i) most factors involved in generating an ACUi to limit viral proliferation are already present when there is an underlying CHRi, and also because (ii) anti-inflammatory (AI) mechanisms for the abatement of ACUi (following containment of viral proliferation) are suppressed and desensitized where there is an underlying CHRi, with this causing the ACUi to spiral into a HYPi. Stress, pollution, diet, and gut microbiomes (alterable in weeks through dietary changes) have an intimate and bidirectional cause-effect relationship with CHRi. We propose that avoidance of CHRi-promoting foods and adoption of CHRi-suppressing foods could reduce susceptibility to HYPi, in Covid-19 and in other viral diseases, such as influenza, which are characterized by episodic and unpredictable HYPi.

Evaluation of glycemic index, antioxidant capacity, and metabolic effects of a fermented beverage made from Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables

Fermented foods and beverages have been known to be beneficial when included in the human diet. This study examined the glycemic index (GI) of a fermented beverage (FB) made from Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables in humans and its antioxidant capacity and metabolic effects in a rat model of diabetes. Twenty healthy volunteers were tested with 50 g of glucose and 50 g equivalent of carbohydrates from FB on two separate days for GI measurement. The rats were randomly divided into blank control group (n = 15) and diabetic model (DM) group (n = 75). DM group were randomly divided into five groups, positive control group, model control group and three FB treatment (2.5, 5, 10 ml/kg·bw·d) groups. The general indices, including blood glucose and lipid levels and antioxidant index, of the rats were measured to investigate the effect of FB. The GI of FB was found to be 56.99, indicating it as a medium GI food. Compared to model control group, the low-dose FB group had lower blood glucose levels and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in DM rats (p < .05). Medium- and high-dose FB decreased the serum malonaldehyde levels in DM rats compared to those in the model control group. The FB-treated DM rat groups showed increased serum glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels compared with those in the model control group (p < .05). FB is a medium GI food that plays a protective role against oxidative stress in DM rats. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The present study evaluated the glycemic index of a fermented beverage (FB) made from Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables in humans and investigated its antioxidant capacity and metabolic effects in a rat diabetes model. The study results may aid in the development of FB from fruits and vegetables and provide a theoretical basis for further research and development.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ibero-American Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Spain

This study aimed to evaluate changes in dietary and lifestyle habits during the period of confinement due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ibero-American countries. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted with 6,325 participants of both genders (68% women), over 18 years of age and from five countries: Brazil (N = 2,171), Argentina (N = 1,111), Peru (N = 1,174), Mexico (N = 686), and Spain (N = 1,183). Data were collected during the year 2020, between April 01 and June 30 in Spain and between July 13 and September 26, in the other countries studied using a self-administered online survey designed for the assessment of sociodemographic, employment, physical activity, health status, and dietary habits changes. Most participants (61.6%), mainly those from Spain, remained constant, without improving or worsening their pattern of food consumption. Among those who changed, a pattern of better eating choices prevailed (22.7%) in comparison with those who changed toward less healthy choices (15.7%). Argentina and Brazil showed the highest proportion of changes toward a healthier pattern of food consumption. Peruvians and Mexicans were less likely to make healthy changes in food consumption (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.4-0.6 and OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.4-0.8, respectively), when compared to Argentinians. Most respondents did not change their pattern of meal consumption, but those who did reduced their consumption of main meals and increased intake of small meals and snacks. Although most participants affirmed to be doing physical activity at home, about one-half reported perception of weight gain. Individuals with alterations in sleep pattern (either by increasing or decreasing sleep time) were more likely to change their diets to a healthier pattern. In contrast, individuals with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and those who reported feeling anxious were more likely to perform changes to a less healthy eating pattern (OR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.2-2.3 and OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4, respectively). In conclusion, although most participants remained constant in their eating habits, lifestyle changes and anxiety feelings were reported. Among those who changed patterns of food consumption, healthier choices prevailed, with differences between countries. However, there were alterations in the distribution of meals, with higher consumption of snacks and small meals. These results can be used to guide policies to prevent deleterious consequences that may affect the incidence of chronic diseases.

Metagenomic analysis reveals oropharyngeal microbiota alterations in patients with COVID-19

COVID-19 remains a serious emerging global health problem, and little is known about the role of oropharynx commensal microbes in infection susceptibility and severity. Here, we present the oropharyngeal microbiota characteristics identified by shotgun metagenomic sequencing analyses of oropharynx swab specimens from 31 COVID-19 patients, 29 influenza B patients, and 28 healthy controls. Our results revealed a distinct oropharyngeal microbiota composition in the COVID-19 patients, characterized by enrichment of opportunistic pathogens such as Veillonella and Megasphaera and depletion of Pseudopropionibacterium, Rothia, and Streptococcus. Based on the relative abundance of the oropharyngeal microbiome, we built a microbial classifier to distinguish COVID-19 patients from flu patients and healthy controls with an AUC of 0.889, in which Veillonella was identified as the most prominent biomarker for COVID-19 group. Several members of the genus Veillonella, especially Veillonella parvula which was highly enriched in the oropharynx of our COVID-19 patients, were also overrepresented in the BALF of COVID-19 patients, indicating that the oral cavity acts as a natural reservoir for pathogens to induce co-infections in the lungs of COVID-19 patients. We also found the increased ratios of Klebsiella sp., Acinetobacter sp., and Serratia sp. were correlated with both disease severity and elevated systemic inflammation markers (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, NLR), suggesting that these oropharynx microbiota alterations may impact COVID-19 severity by influencing the inflammatory response. Moreover, the oropharyngeal microbiome of COVID-19 patients exhibited a significant enrichment in amino acid metabolism and xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism. In addition, all 26 drug classes of antimicrobial resistance genes were detected in the COVID-19 group, and were significantly enriched in critical cases. In conclusion, we found that oropharyngeal microbiota alterations and functional differences were associated with COVID-19 severity.

The microbiota-mediated dietary and nutritional interventions for COVID-19

Worldwide, scientists are looking for specific treatment for COVID-19. Apart from the antiviral approach, the interventions to support healthy immune responses to the virus are feasible through diet, nutrition, and lifestyle approaches. This narrative review explores the recent studies on dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle interventions that influence the microbiota-mediated immunomodulatory effects against viral infections. Cumulative studies reported that the airway microbiota and SARS-CoV-2 leverage each other and determine the pathogen-microbiota-host responses. Cigarette smoking can disrupt microbiota abundance. The composition and diversification of intestinal microbiota influence the airway microbiota and the innate and adaptive immunity, which require supports from the balance of macro- and micronutrients from the diet. Colorful vegetables supplied fermentable prebiotics and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant phytonutrients. Fermented foods and beverages support intestinal microbiota. In sensitive individuals, the avoidance of the high immunoreactive food antigens contributes to antiviral immunity. This review suggests associations between airway and intestinal microbiota, antiviral host immunity, and the influences of dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle interventions to prevent the clinical course toward severe COVID-19.

Antiviral activity of fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria towards respiratory and alimentary tracts viruses

The recent COVID-19, a viral outbreak calls for a high demand for non-conventional antiviral agents that can reduce the risk of infections and promote fast recovery. Fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria have recently received increasing interest due to the reported potential of high antiviral activity. Several probiotics strains demonstrated broad range of antiviral activities and different mechanisms of action. This article will review the diversity, health benefits, interaction with immune system and antiviral activity of fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria. In addition, the mechanisms of action will be reviewed to determine the broad range potential antiviral activity against the respiratory and alimentary tracts viruses. The probiotics bacteria and bioactive compounds in fermented foods demonstrated antiviral activities against respiratory and alimentary tracts viruses. The mechanism of action was reported to be due to the stimulation of the immune system function via enhancing natural killers cell toxicity, enhance the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increasing the cytotoxic of T lymphocytes (CD3⁺, CD16⁺, CD56⁺). However, further studies are highly recommended to determine the potential antiviral activity for traditional fermented foods.

Smarter cures to combat COVID-19 and future pathogens: a review

Prevention is better than cure. A milestone of the anthropocene is the emergence of a series of epidemics and pandemics often characterized by the transmission of a pathogen from animals to human in the past two decades. In particular, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made a profound impact on emergency responding and policy-making in a public health crisis. Classical solutions for controlling the virus, such as travel restrictions, lockdowns, repurposed drugs and vaccines, are socially unpopular and medically limited by the fast mutation and adaptation of the virus. This is exacerbated by microbial resistance to therapeutic drugs and the slowness of vaccine development. In other words, microbial pathogens are somehow 'smarter' and faster than us, thus calling for more intelligent cures to combat future pandemics. Here, we compare therapeutics for COVID-19 such as synthetic drugs, vaccines, antibodies and phages. We present the strength and limitations of antibiotic and antiviral drugs, vaccines, and antibody-based therapeutics. We describe smarter, cheaper and preventive cures such as bacteriophages, food medicine using probiotics and prebiotics, sports, healthy diet, music, yoga, Tai Chi, dance, reading, knitting, cooking and outdoor activities. Some of these preventive cures have been intuitively developed since thousands of years ago, as illustrated by the fascinating similarity of the Chinese characters for 'music' and 'herbal medicine.'

Foreword - The importance of a healthy microbiota in the era of COVID-19

At the start of 2020 we were thrilled to have reached 10 years of Beneficial Microbes! Little did we know that soon after Europe and the rest of the world (with Asia already earlier) would be in lock-down due to COVID-19. It has been a strange year. And now, at the start of 2021, the excitement of having a vaccine is tempered by the fact that everywhere mutants of the virus pop up. Although this was likely to occur, as also the influenza virus keeps mutating, it means that at the moment it is unclear as to whether the current situation of lock-downs and social distancing will remain for a longer period than we had anticipated and hoped for at the end of 2020 when it became clear that several vaccines were efficacious. Some studies have shown a role of the gut microbiota composition in disease severity, together with vitamin D, cholesterol and other factors. It was a hype to write a 'review' on gut microbiota and the effect on COVID-19, and also the board of Beneficial Microbes has received several submissions of so-called reviews on the topic. However, all of them were rejected, as they were mere speculations about how the gut microbiota might affect virus infection and disease severity, without any data whatsoever. However, there are some good studies out there that have shown that a proper gut microbiota may indeed influence disease severity, such as recently reviewed by Kim (2021). All in all, this may not be too surprising for the knowledgeable reader, as they would know that the microbiota plays a role in everything that can be wrong with us!

Probiotic lactobacilli: Can be a remediating supplement for pandemic COVID-19. A review

In recent years increased attention is focussed on microorganisms inhabiting the digestive system that provides prophylactic and therapeutic benefits to the host. After Metchnikoff exposed the secret behind Bulgarian peasants' extended longevity, a graze to incorporate the responsible microbes in functional food emerged. Then interest towards microbe-rich food went to the vegetative phase for some time, but now a renaissance to engage these wonder microbes in the healthcare sector is increasing. With a new definition, probiotics, these good microbes have been widely applied in different types of products, either as pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, or foods. Probiotics, a significant source in functional dairy products, claims diverse roles such as improving intestinal tract health, enhancing the immune system, synthesizing and enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients, reducing symptoms of lactose intolerance, decreasing the prevalence of allergy in susceptible individuals, and reducing the risk of certain cancers. In the recent COVID-19 issue, searches are going fast to use probiotics as vaccine carriers, dysbiosis balancer, and immunity booster. The high expectation from probiotics expanded the development of bioengineered probiotics as new-generation probiotics. From the animal model and in vitro studies, the probiotic intervention is extrapolated to innate and adaptive immunity inducer against SARS viral infections. The possibility of using it as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in COVID-19 is explored. However, its significant activity against corona virus-induced respiratory syndromes is questioned by a few researchers also. The emerging citations on the research approach and meta-analysis of probiotic intervention against the re-emerging pandemic viral attack on the respiratory and gastrointestinal domains need to be analyzed in this context. As it is essential to understand the reality of recent experimental outcomes in the probiotic approach towards SARS-CoV-2 prevention, management, and control, the recent publications were focused on this review.

Probiotics: A potential immunomodulator in COVID-19 infection management

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is an ongoing global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 affects the human respiratory tract's epithelial cells, leading to a proinflammatory cytokine storm and chronic lung inflammation. With numerous patients dying daily, a vaccine and specific antiviral drug regimens are being explored. Probiotics are live microorganisms with proven beneficial effects on human health. While probiotics as nutritional supplements are long practiced in different cuisines across various countries, the emerging scientific evidence supports the antiviral and general immune-strengthening health effects of the probiotics. Here, we present an overview of the experimental studies published in the last 10 years that provide a scientific basis for unexplored probiotics as a preventive approach to respiratory viral infections. Based on collated insights from these experimental data, we identify promising microbial strains that may serve as lead prophylactic and immune-boosting probiotics in COVID-19 management.

COVID-19 pandemic sheds light on the importance of food safety practices: risks, global recommendations, and perspectives

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is global health and humanitarian emergency. To respond effectively to this pandemic, it is mandatory to reaffirm science in its different fields of study, including the food safety area. Presently, we review food safety in times of COVID-19, exploring whether the virus can be transmitted by food or water; recommendations from regulatory agencies; perceptions of food hygiene practices during the pandemic; and post-pandemic perspectives. The review was based on papers published in Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, and covered recommendations of public health protection and regulatory agencies around the world. The transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) by food was not confirmed until the present time. In any case, the protocols already established for food safety were reinforced, emphasizing the proper hygiene of hands after shopping, handling food packages, or before manipulating or eating food, adequate social distance, the use of individual protection equipment, the health of employees, and the proper preparation of food. It is hoped, in the post-pandemic scenario, to reach a better understanding of the particularities that led to greater care with food hygiene. Moreover, it is expected that the food system will creatively adapt the way meals are served.

Nasopharyngeal Microbiome Signature in COVID-19 Positive Patients: Can We Definitively Get a Role to Fusobacterium periodonticum?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This virus is highly transmissible among individuals through both droplets and aerosol leading to determine severe pneumonia. Among the various factors that can influence both the onset of disease and the severity of its complications, the microbiome composition has also been investigated. Recent evidence showed the possible relationship between gut, lung, nasopharyngeal, or oral microbiome and COVID-19, but very little is known about it. Therefore, we aimed to verify the relationships between nasopharyngeal microbiome and the development of either COVID-19 or the severity of symptoms. To this purpose, we analyzed, by next generation sequencing, the hypervariable V1-V2-V3 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA in nasopharyngeal swabs from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (n=18) and control (CO) individuals (n=12) using Microbiota solution A (Arrow Diagnostics). We found a significant lower abundance of Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria in COVID-19 patients in respect to CO (p=0.003 and p<0.0001, respectively) from the phylum up to the genus (p<0.001). The Fusobacterium periodonticum (FP) resulted as the most significantly reduced species in COVID-19 patients respect to CO. FP is reported as being able to perform the surface sialylation. Noteworthy, some sialic acids residues on the cell surface could work as additional S protein of SARS-CoV-2 receptors. Consequently, SARS-CoV-2 could use sialic acids as receptors to bind to the epithelium of the respiratory tract, promoting its clustering and the disease development. We can therefore speculate that the significant reduction of FP in COVID-19 patients could be directly or indirectly linked to the modulation of sialic acid metabolism. Finally, viral or environmental factors capable of interfering with sialic metabolism could determine a fall in the individual protection from SARS-CoV-2. Further studies are necessary to clarify the precise role of FP in COVID-19.