The effects of curcumin as dietary supplement for patients with COVID-19: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Curcumin as an antiviral agent and immune-inflammatory modulator in COVID-19: A scientometric analysis

Background

Reports regarding the antiviral activity of curcumin have surfaced. However, to date there has been no scientometric analysis of the relationship between curcumin and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). To comprehensively understand the studies involving curcumin in the context of COVID-19, we conducted a scientometric analysis to provide an exhaustive review of these studies.

Methods

We systematically searched the Web of Science core collection database for bibliographic data indexed from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, using keywords such as 'curcumin', 'COVID-19', and their synonyms. To clarify the research content and trends related to curcumin in COVID-19, we utilized VOSviewer, Origin 2023, and Charticulator for analysis, supplemented by external data.

Results

The final count of publications included in this study was 252. These publications originated from 63 countries or territories, with India contributing the highest number of publications. They were published across 170 journals. Notably, the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) emerged as the most important institution that carried out this study. The most cited publication had been referenced 166 times. The main elements involved in the keyword analysis were reflected in the antiviral activity of curcumin and the immuno-inflammatory modulation of the inflammatory cytokine storm. Furthermore, the pharmacological mechanisms of curcumin for treating COVID-19 emerged as a prominent area of research. Simultaneously, there exists direct evidence of clinical usage of curcumin to enhance COVID-19 outcomes.

Conclusions

The scientometric analysis underscores the burgeoning professional domain of curcumin-based treatment for COVID-19. Ongoing studies have focused on the antiviral activity of curcumin and its immunomodulatory effects on inflammatory cytokine storms. On the other hand, the pharmacological mechanism of curcumin in the treatment of COVID-19 is a hot spot in the research field at present, which may become the main research trend in this field in the future. While maintaining a focus on foundational research, the clinical application of curcumin in COVID-19 infection is developing in parallel, highlighting its obvious guiding value in clinical practice. These insights offer researchers a snapshot of the present state of curcumin treatment for COVID-19 and guide further mechanistic validation efforts in the future.

Antiviral foods in the battle against viral infections: Understanding the molecular mechanism

Viruses produce a variety of illnesses, which may also cause acute respiratory syndrome. All viral infections, including COVID-19, are associated with the strength of the immune system. Till now, traditional medicine or vaccines for most viral diseases have not been effective. Antiviral and immune-boosting diets may provide defense against viral diseases by lowering the risk of infection and assisting rapid recovery. The purpose of this review was to gather, analyze, and present data based on scientific evidence in order to provide an overview of the mechanistic insights of antiviral bioactive metabolites. We have covered a wide range of food with antiviral properties in this review, along with their potential mechanism of action against viral infections. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges of using antiviral food have been critically reviewed. Bioactive plant compounds, not only help in maintaining the body's normal physiological mechanism and good health but are also essential for improving the body's immunity and therefore can be effective against viral diseases. These agents fight viral diseases either by incorporating the body's defense mechanism or by enhancing the cell's immune system. Regular intake of antiviral foods may prevent future pandemic and consumption of these antiviral agents with traditional medicine may reduce the severity of viral diseases. Therefore, the synergistic effect of antiviral foods and medication needs to be investigated.

Strategies for the Management of Spike Protein-Related Pathology

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, a need has arisen to prevent and treat two related conditions, COVID-19 vaccine injury and long COVID-19, both of which can trace at least part of their aetiology to the spike protein, which can cause harm through several mechanisms. One significant mechanism of harm is vascular, and it is mediated by the spike protein, a common element of the COVID-19 illness, and it is related to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Given the significant number of people experiencing these two related conditions, it is imperative to develop treatment protocols, as well as to consider the diversity of people experiencing long COVID-19 and vaccine injury. This review summarizes the known treatment options for long COVID-19 and vaccine injury, their mechanisms, and their evidentiary basis.

Repositioned Natural Compounds and Nanoformulations: A Promising Combination to Counteract Cell Damage and Inflammation in Respiratory Viral Infections

Respiratory viral diseases are among the most important causes of disability, morbidity, and death worldwide. Due to the limited efficacy or side effects of many current therapies and the increase in antiviral-resistant viral strains, the need to find new compounds to counteract these infections is growing. Since the development of new drugs is a time-consuming and expensive process, numerous studies have focused on the reuse of commercially available compounds, such as natural molecules with therapeutic properties. This phenomenon is generally called drug repurposing or repositioning and represents a valid emerging strategy in the drug discovery field. Unfortunately, the use of natural compounds in therapy has some limitations, due to their poor kinetic performance and consequently reduced therapeutic effect. The advent of nanotechnology in biomedicine has allowed this limitation to be overcome, showing that natural compounds in nanoform may represent a promising strategy against respiratory viral infections. In this narrative review, the beneficial effects of some promising natural molecules, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, and vitamin C, which have been already studied both in native form and in nanoform, against respiratory viral infections are presented and discussed. The review focuses on the ability of these natural compounds, analyzed in in vitro and in vivo studies, to counteract inflammation and cellular damage induced by viral infection and provide scientific evidence of the benefits of nanoformulations in increasing the therapeutic potential of these molecules.

The effectiveness of nano-curcumin on patients with COVID-19: A systematic review of clinical trials

The main aim of the current study was to summarize the findings of available clinical studies to assess nano-curcumin's influence on COVID patients. A comprehensive online search was performed in Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar until March 2022 to identify trials that investigated the effects of nano-curcumin in patients with COVID-19. Eight studies comprising 569 patients were included in this review. Compared with placebo, nano-curcumin had no significant effect on C-reactive protein (CRP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). However, gene expression of IL-6 and gene expression as well as secretion of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) significantly decreased following nano-curcumin intervention. Nano-curcumin had beneficial effects on fever, cough, chills, myalgia, and olfactory and taste disturbances. The duration of hospitalization and mortality rate were significantly lower in the nano-curcumin group compared with the control group. Lymphocyte count was significantly increased after curcumin supplementation. Nano-curcumin also had favorable effects on O₂ saturation, sputum, chest pain, wheeze, and dyspnea in patients with COVID-19. No major adverse effects were reported in response to nano-curcumin supplementation. In summary, the results of this systematic review of clinical trials suggested that nano-curcumin supplementation has beneficial effects on inflammation, respiratory function, disease manifestations, and complications in patients with COVID-19 viral infection.