The effect of Ni gella sativa and vitamin D3 supplementation on the clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Exploration of medicinal plants as potential therapeutics against COVID-19: molecular insights and drug development prospects with other significant medicinal information a retrospective exposition

OBJECTIVES

The study aims to explore the potential of medicinal plants and their phytoconstituents as effective inhibitors of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The focus is on investigating specific medicinal plants known for their pharmacological properties, such as: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, to determine their viability in developing COVID-19 treatments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study involves a comprehensive study of medicinal plants, including: Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil), known for their beneficial health effects. Molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the interactions between phytoconstituents from these plants and SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The compounds' drug-like characteristics and safety profiles were also evaluated to determine their potential as therapeutic agents.

RESULTS

The molecular docking studies revealed that the phytoconstituents from the studied medicinal plants exhibit favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. These compounds demonstrated promising drug-like characteristics and safety profiles, indicating their suitability for further development as COVID-19-fighting medications.

DISCUSSION

The results indicate that medicinal plants and their bioactive substances hold significant potential for developing therapies against COVID-19. The ability of these organic substances to interact with key viral proteins and provide various therapeutic benefits highlights their potential as multi-functional treatment options. However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to understand the full scope of their therapeutic efficacy and safety in clinical settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicinal plants and their phyto-constituents represent a promising avenue for developing effective treatments for COVID-19. The favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins and the promising drug-like characteristics observed in this study suggest that these natural compounds could be integral in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research and clinical trials are essential to fully validating their potential and translating these findings into practical medical applications.

NLRP3 Inflammasomes: Dual Function in Infectious Diseases

The Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been the most distinctive polymer protein complex. After recognizing the endogenous and exogenous danger signals, NLRP3 can cause inflammation by pyroptosis and secretion of mature, bioactive forms of IL-1β and IL-18. The NLRP3 inflammasome is essential in the genesis and progression of infectious illnesses. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the NLRP3 inflammasome in infectious diseases, focusing on its two-sided effects. As an essential part of host defense with a protective impact, abnormal NLRP3 inflammasome activation, however, result in a systemic high inflammatory response, leading to subsequent damage. In addition, scientific evidence of small molecules, biologics, and phytochemicals acting on the NLRP3 inflammasome has been reviewed. We believe that the NLRP3 inflammasome helps us understand the pathological mechanism of different stages of infectious diseases and that inhibitors targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome will become a new and valuable research direction for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 aggravation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

The therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) aggravation remain controversial and inconclusive. To probe into this contentious issue, we performed the present meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

Literature published up to June 2023 was retrieved from Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science and Embase. RCTs assessing mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation (MV), length of hospitalization (LOH), and inflammatory markers containing C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, interleukin-6 (IL-6), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were included. 19 RCTs were involved in the analysis and were conducted subgroup analyses on the baseline COVID-19 severity and vitamin D administration.

Results

In the severity subgroup, statistically significant effects in moderate to severe group were observed in ICU admission (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23, 0.80; p = 0.008), MV (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27, 0.72; p = 0.001) and LOH (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.92, -0.06; p = 0.027). In the administration subgroup, effects of ICU admission (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16, 0.97; p = 0.044), MV (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.07, 0.46; p = 0.000) and LOH (SMD -0.50, 95% CI -0.96, -0.04; p = 0.034) were more pronounced in patients supplied with multiple-dose vitamin D than single-dose. Although the result of mortality showed no statistically significant effect, it indicated a reduced trend (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.63, 1.12; p > 0.05). The results of inflammatory markers reached no statistical differences.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis revealed that moderate to severe COVID-19 patients supplied with multiple doses of vitamin D were less apt to need ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and have shorter hospital stays.

Nigella sativa and its chemical constituents: pre-clinical and clinical evidence for their potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused over 500 million reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide with relatively high morbidity and mortality. Although global vaccination drive has helped control the pandemic, the newer variant of the virus still holds the world in ransom. Several medicinal herbs with antiviral properties have been reported, and one such promising herb is Nigella sativa (NS). Recent molecular docking, pre-clinical, and clinical studies have shown that NS extracts may have the potential to prevent the entry of coronaviruses into the host cell as well as to treat and manage COVID-19 symptoms. Several active compounds from NS, such as nigelledine, α-hederin, dithymoquinone (DTQ), and thymoquinone (TQ), have been proposed as excellent ligands to target angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2 receptors) and other targets on host cells as well as the spike protein (S protein) on SARS-CoV-2. By binding to these target proteins, these ligands could potentially prevent the binding between ACE2 and S protein. Though several articles have been published on the promising therapeutic role of NS and its constituents against SARS-CoV-2 infection, in this review, we consolidate the published information on NS and SARS-CoV-2, focusing on pre-clinical in silico studies as well as clinical trials reported between 2012 and 2023.

The role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Vitamin D (VitD) has been shown to be important for the immune response of the respiratory system, but the preventive and therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on SARS-CoV-2 infection are controversial. This study aimed to determine the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

The databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched systematically from inception to April 17,2023 to identify trials involving a randomized comparison of vitamin D supplementation versus non-vitamin D supplementation for SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention or treatment.

RESULTS

We retrieved 25 eligible trials, including 8128 participants. Four trials compared the preventive effects of vitamin D supplementation on SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the results (RR 0.31; 95%CI 0.07 to 1.32) were inconclusive. Regarding the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with vitamin D supplementation, it was found that vitamin D supplementation could significantly reduce the rates of ICU admission (RR 0.63; 95%CI 0.44 to 0.89) and mechanical ventilation (RR 0.58; 95%CI 0.39 to 0.84), but had no statistically significant effect on mortality. However, in subgroup analyses based on the patients' specific conditions, vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced the mortality in patients with vitamin D deficiency (RR 0.76; 95%CI 0.58 to 0.98).

CONCLUSION

Vitamin D supplementation may have some beneficial impact on the severity of illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, particularly in VitD deficient patients, but further studies are still needed.

Genetic correlation, causal relationship, and shared loci between vitamin D and COVID-19: A genome-wide cross-trait analysis

Observational studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection, yet little is known about the shared genomic architectures between them. Leveraging large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, we investigated the genetic correlation and causal relationship between genetically determined vitamin D and COVID-19 using linkage disequilibrium score regression and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, and conducted a cross-trait GWAS meta-analysis to identify the overlapping susceptibility loci of them. We observed a significant genetic correlation between genetically predicted vitamin D and COVID-19 (r_g  = -0.143, p = 0.011), and the risk of COVID-19 infection would decrease by 6% for every 0.76 nmol L^-1 increase of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations in generalized MR (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, p = 0.019). We identified rs4971066 (EFNA1) as a risk locus for the joint phenotype of vitamin D and COVID-19. In conclusion, genetically determined vitamin D is associated with COVID-19. Increased levels of serum 25OHD concentration may benefit the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.