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Bormann M, Alt M, Schipper L, van de Sand L, Le-Trilling VTK, Rink L, Heinen N, Madel RJ, Otte M, Wuensch K, Heilingloh CS, Mueller T, Dittmer U, Elsner C, Pfaender S, Trilling M, Witzke O, Krawczyk A. Turmeric Root and Its Bioactive Ingredient Curcumin Effectively Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro. Viruses 2021; 13:1914. [PMID: 34696344 PMCID: PMC8537626 DOI: 10.3390/v13101914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The availability of effective and well-tolerated antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 patients is still very limited. Traditional herbal medicines elicit antiviral activity against various viruses and might therefore represent a promising option for the complementary treatment of COVID-19 patients. The application of turmeric root in herbal medicine has a very long history. Its bioactive ingredient curcumin shows a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activity of aqueous turmeric root extract, the dissolved content of a curcumin-containing nutritional supplement capsule, and pure curcumin against SARS-CoV-2. Turmeric root extract, dissolved turmeric capsule content, and pure curcumin effectively neutralized SARS-CoV-2 at subtoxic concentrations in Vero E6 and human Calu-3 cells. Furthermore, curcumin treatment significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in cell culture supernatants. Our data uncover curcumin as a promising compound for complementary COVID-19 treatment. Curcumin concentrations contained in turmeric root or capsules used as nutritional supplements completely neutralized SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Our data argue in favor of appropriate and carefully monitored clinical studies that vigorously test the effectiveness of complementary treatment of COVID-19 patients with curcumin-containing products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Bormann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Mira Alt
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Leonie Schipper
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Lukas van de Sand
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
| | - Lydia Rink
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
| | - Natalie Heinen
- Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany; (N.H.); (S.P.)
| | - Rabea Julia Madel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Mona Otte
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Korbinian Wuensch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Christiane Silke Heilingloh
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Thorsten Mueller
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Cell Signaling, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany;
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
| | - Carina Elsner
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
| | - Stephanie Pfaender
- Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany; (N.H.); (S.P.)
| | - Mirko Trilling
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
| | - Oliver Witzke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
| | - Adalbert Krawczyk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (M.B.); (M.A.); (L.S.); (L.v.d.S.); (R.J.M.); (M.O.); (K.W.); (C.S.H.); (O.W.)
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (V.T.K.L.-T.); (L.R.); (U.D.); (C.E.); (M.T.)
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