In Vitro Determination of Inhibitory Effects of Humic Substances Complexing Zn and Se on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Replication

Physically and Chemically Cross-Linked Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Humic Acid Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications

The preparation method of hydrogels has a significant effect on their structural and physicochemical properties. In this report, physically and chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) networks containing humic acid (HA) were alternatively prepared by autoclaving (AC) and through glutaraldehyde (GA) addition, respectively, for agricultural purposes. PVA/HA hydrogels were comparatively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical assays, scanning electron microscopy, swelling kinetics measurements, and water retention tests in soil. AC hydrogels showed a more homogeneous porous microstructure, higher swelling levels, and a better capacity to preserve the humidity of soil than those obtained by adding GA. Both PVA/HA hydrogels exhibited no phytotoxicity on cultivation trials of Sorghum sp., but the plant growth was promoted with the GA-cross-linked network as compared to the effect of the AC sample. The release behavior of urea was modified according to the preparation method of the PVA/HA hydrogels. After 3 days of sustained urea release, 91% of the fertilizer was delivered from the AC hydrogel, whereas a lower amount of 56% was released for the GA-cross-linked hydrogel. Beyond the advantages of applying PVA/HA hydrogels in the agricultural field, an appropriate method of preparing these materials endows them with specific properties according to the requirements of the target crop.

A novel ACE2 decoy for both neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants and killing of infected cells

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to millions of infections and deaths worldwide. As this virus evolves rapidly, there is a high need for treatment options that can win the race against new emerging variants of concern. Here, we describe a novel immunotherapeutic drug based on the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 and provide experimental evidence that it cannot only be used for (i) neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in SARS-CoV-2-infected animal models but also for (ii) clearance of virus-infected cells. For the latter purpose, we equipped the ACE2 decoy with an epitope tag. Thereby, we converted it to an adapter molecule, which we successfully applied in the modular platforms UniMAB and UniCAR for retargeting of either unmodified or universal chimeric antigen receptor-modified immune effector cells. Our results pave the way for a clinical application of this novel ACE2 decoy, which will clearly improve COVID-19 treatment.

Humic Substances as a Versatile Intermediary

Humic substances are organic ubiquitous components arising in the process of chemical and microbiological oxidation, generally called humification, the second largest process of the carbon cycle. The beneficial properties of these various substances can be observed in many fields of life and health, whether it is the impact on the human organism, as prophylactic as well as the therapeutic effects; animal physiology and welfare, which is widely used in livestock farming; or the impact of humic substances on the environment and ecosystem in the context of renewal, fertilization and detoxification. Since animal health, human health and environmental health are interconnected and mutually influencing, this work brings insight into the excellence of the use of humic substances as a versatile mediator contributing to the promotion of One Health.

Latest development in the fabrication and use of lignin-derived humic acid

Humic substances (HS) are originated from naturally decaying biomass. The main products of HS are humic acids, fulvic acids, and humins. HS are extracted from natural origins (e.g., coals, lignite, forest, and river sediments). However, the production of HS from these resources is not environmentally friendly, potentially impacting ecological systems. Earlier theories claimed that the HS might be transformed from lignin by enzymatic or aerobic oxidation. On the other hand, lignin is a by-product of pulp and paper production processes and is available commercially. However, it is still under-utilized. To address the challenges of producing environmentally friendly HS and accommodating lignin in valorized processes, the production of lignin-derived HS has attracted attention. Currently, several chemical modification pathways can be followed to convert lignin into HS-like materials, such as alkaline aerobic oxidation, alkaline oxidative digestion, and oxidative ammonolysis of lignin. This review paper discusses the fundamental aspects of lignin transformation to HS comprehensively. The applications of natural HS and lignin-derived HS in various fields, such as soil enrichment, fertilizers, wastewater treatment, water decontamination, and medicines, were comprehensively discussed. Furthermore, the current challenges associated with the production and use of HS from lignin were described.

Clinical review of humic acid as an antiviral: Leadup to translational applications in clinical humeomics

This clinical review presents what is known about the antiviral features of humic substances (HS) to the benefit of the clinical healthcare provider using available data in humeomics, the study of the soil humeome. It provides the reader with a working framework of historical studies and includes clinically relevant data with the goal of providing a broad appreciation of the antiviral potential of humic substances while also preparing for a translational leap into the clinical application of humic acid.

H, K. P. S, Paul J, R. MK, Rajendran K, Saibannavar AA, Nirali S. An efficacy and safety report based on randomized controlled single-blinded multi-centre clinical trial of ZingiVir-H, a novel herbo-mineral formulation designed as an add-on therapy in adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

Coronaviruses, hence named because of the crown-like spikes on the viral envelope, are members of Coronaviridae family and Order Nidovirales. SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh human pathogenic coronavirus identified after HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, SARS-CoV (SARS-CoV-1), HCoV-NL63, CoV-HKU1, and MERS-CoV. SARS-Cov-2 is highly similar to SARS-CoV. COVID-19 is the corresponding acute disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that was initially reported in Wuhan, China towards the end of 2019 and spread to millions of humans globally. Unfortunately, limited studies were available on the efficacy of antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 at the time of this study. ZingiVir-H is an Ayurvedic formulation for use in early therapy of viral disease. This clinical trial was planned to investigate (1) the efficacy and safety of ZingiVir-H and (2) the efficacy of ZingiVir-H as an add-on therapy to the standard of care in hospitalized adults diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS

A total of 123 eligible subjects as per inclusion criteria were randomized within the study. Three subjects later declined to participate in the study and four subjects didn't meet inclusion criteria, which brought the final evaluable subject count to 116 for the efficacy and safety endpoint analysis. Thus, a total of 116 patients were equally randomised into two groups, namely, ZingiVir-H and Placebo for this clinical trial. The study patients were assigned to receive either ZingiVir-H or Placebo along with the standard of care as per the National Indian COVID-19 treatment protocol. The time interval until a negative RT-PCR obtained, was evaluated during treatment with ZingiVir-H or Placebo for ten days. Liver and kidney function tests were regularly assessed to ensure the safety profile of ZingiVir-H.

RESULTS

The study found that patients who were administered ZingiVir-H had a median recovery time of 5 days (95% confidence interval (CI) 5-5) when compared to 6 days (95% CI 5-6) in those who received Placebo. Besides, in Ordinal Scale analysis of all the patients treated with ZingiVir-H demonstrated significant redistribution to a better clinical status from ordinal scale 5 to 6 and 7 within five to seven days when compared to that of placebo treatment. The time required for clinical improvement and the number of days needed for hospitalization was significantly less in the ZingiVir-H treated group when compared to placebo. The absence of liver and kidney function changes affirmed the safety profile of ZingiVir-H. No serious adverse events were reported in ZingiVir-H treated patients.

CONCLUSION

We found that ZingiVir-H is effective and safe in managing COVID-19 infections and delaying the disease progression from mild to moderate and moderate to severe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial report on the efficacy/safety of a herbo-mineral Ayurvedic drug against COVID-19 as of yet.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trial Registry of India CTRI/2020/04/024883. Registered on 28/04/2020.

Disinfection and decontamination in the context of SARS-CoV-2-specific data

Given the high transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as witnessed early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, concerns arose with the existing methods for virus disinfection and decontamination. The need for SARS-CoV-2-specific data stimulated considerable research in this regard. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 is practically and equally susceptible to approaches for disinfection and decontamination that have been previously found for other human or animal coronaviruses. The latter have included techniques utilizing temperature modulation, pH extremes, irradiation, and chemical treatments. These physicochemical methods are a necessary adjunct to other prevention strategies, given the environmental and patient surface ubiquity of the virus. Classic studies of disinfection have also allowed for extrapolation to the eradication of the virus on human mucosal surfaces by some chemical means. Despite considerable laboratory study, practical field assessments are generally lacking and need to be encouraged to confirm the correlation of interventions with viral eradication and infection prevention. Transparency in the constitution and use of any method or chemical is also essential to furthering practical applications.

The Chemopreventive Effects of Polyphenols and Coffee, Based upon a DMBA Mouse Model with microRNA and mTOR Gene Expression Biomarkers

Polyphenols are capable of decreasing cancer risk. We examined the chemopreventive effects of a green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract, polyphenol extract (a mixture of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum), and added resveratrol phytoalexin), Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) extract, and a coffee (Coffea arabica) extract on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) carcinogen-increased miR-134, miR-132, miR-124-1, miR-9-3, and mTOR gene expressions in the liver, spleen, and kidneys of CBA/Ca mice. The elevation was quenched significantly in the organs, except for miR-132 in the liver of the Chinese bayberry extract-consuming group, and miR-132 in the kidneys of the polyphenol-fed group. In the coffee extract-consuming group, only miR-9-3 and mTOR decreased significantly in the liver; also, miR-134 decreased significantly in the spleen, and, additionally, miR-124-1 decreased significantly in the kidney. Our results are supported by literature data, particularly the DMBA generated ROS-induced inflammatory and proliferative signal transducers, such as TNF, IL1, IL6, and NF-κB; as well as oncogenes, namely RAS and MYC. The examined chemopreventive agents, besides the obvious antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, mainly blocked the mentioned DMBA-activated factors and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well, and, at the same time, induced PTEN as well as SIRT tumor suppressor genes.