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Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a surge in stress, anxiety, and depression worldwide. Ashwagandha, an ayurvedic adaptogen has been traditionally used to manage stress, anxiety, and general well-being., Objective: We assessed the effect of Ashwagandha root extract (ARE-500 mg) standardized for 2.5% withanolides as per USP protocol with piperine (5 mg of 95% piperine) once daily for 60 days (12.5 mg withanolides/day) to alleviate stress and anxiety in healthy individuals with mild to moderate symptoms., Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted for 60 days using ARE (n = 27) and placebo (n = 27) once daily at night at Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Bangalore, and Vijaya Super Specialty Hospital, Nellore, in India. The objectives of this study were to assess an improvement in perceived stress scale (PSS), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), quality of life (QOL), cognitive scores in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), changes in salivary cortisol, urinary serotonin, dopamine, serum levels of nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) from baseline to end of the study. Safety was evaluated by laboratory parameters, and by monitoring any incidence of adverse events., Results: 54 individuals were randomized and 50 of them completed the study. The PSS, GAD-7, and QOL scores improved significantly in all the participants taking ARE compared to the placebo. The CANTAB analysis revealed a significant improvement in multitasking, concentration, and decision taking time in ARE compared to placebo. ARE was also associated with a greater reduction in the morning salivary cortisol and an increase in urinary serotonin compared to placebo. Serum levels of NO, GSH, and MDA were not significantly different. Biochemical and hematological parameters remained in the normal range in all participants and ARE was well tolerated during the study., Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that ARE with 2.5% withanolides can effectively improve stress and anxiety by reducing cortisol and increasing serotonin in healthy individuals with mild to moderate symptoms., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Curcumin is extracted from the rhizomes Curcuma longa L. It is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Despite its safety and potential for use against various diseases, curcumin's utility is restricted due to its low oral bioavailability. Co-administration of curcumin along with piperine could potentially improve the bioavailability of curcumin. The present review aimed to provide an overview of the efficacy and safety of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation in human health. The findings of this comprehensive review show the beneficial effects of curcumin-piperine in improving glycemic indices, lipid profile and antioxidant status in diabetes, improving the inflammatory status caused by obesity and metabolic syndrome, reducing oxidative stress and depression in chronic stress and neurological disorders, also improving chronic respiratory diseases, asthma and COVID-19. Further high-quality clinical trial studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the curcumin-piperine supplement., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Curcumin is a traditional remedy for diseases associated with hyper-inflammatory responses and immune system impairment. Piperine, a bioactive compound in black pepper, has the potential to enhance curcumin bioavailability. 0This study aims to examine the effect of the curcumin-piperine co-supplementation in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU)., Material and Methods: In this parallel randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU were randomized to receive three capsules of curcumin (500 mg)-piperine (5 mg) or placebo for 7 days., Results: After 1 week of the intervention, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p = 0.02) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.03) were significantly decreased, and hemoglobin was increased (p = 0.03) in the curcumin-piperine compared to the placebo group. However, compared with the placebo, curcumin-piperine had no significant effects on the other biochemical, hematological, and arterial blood gas and 28-day mortality rate was three patients in each group (p = 0.99)., Conclusion: The study results showed that short-term curcumin-piperine supplementation significantly decreased CRP, AST, and increased hemoglobin in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. Based on these promising findings, curcumin appears to be a complementary treatment option for COVID-19 patients, although some parameters were not affected by the intervention., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now plagued the world for almost 3 years. Although vaccines are now available, the severity of the pandemic and the current dearth of approved effective medications have prompted the need for novel treatment approaches. Curcumin, as a food nutraceutical with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, is now under consideration for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Curcumin has been demonstrated to retard the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 into cells, interfere with its proliferation inside cells, and curb the hyperinflammatory state caused by the virus by modulating immune system regulators, minimizing the cytokine storm effect, and modulating the renin-angiotensin system. This chapter discusses the role of curcumin and its derivatives in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection, considering the molecular mechanisms involved. It will also focus on the molecular and cellular profiling techniques as essential tools in this research, as these can be used in the identification and development of new biomarkers, drug targets, and therapeutic approaches for improved patient care., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Due to continuous technical developments and new insights into the high complexity of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, there is an increasing need for multiplex biomarkers to aid clinical management and support the development of new drugs and vaccines. COVID-19 disease requires rapid diagnosis and stratification to enable the most appropriate treatment course for the best possible outcomes for patients. In addition, these tests should be rapid, specific, and sensitive. They should rule out other potential causes of illness with simultaneous testing for other diseases. Elevated levels of specific biomarkers can be used to establish severity risks of chronic diseases so that patients can be provided the proper medication at the right time. This review describes the state-of-the-art technologies in proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, for multiplex biomarker approaches in COVID-19 research., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic virus infections are often associated with the uncontrolled release of proinflammatory cytokines, known as a "cytokine storm." We present a protocol for multiplex analysis of three cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and IL-10, which are typically elevated in cytokine storm events and may be used as a predictive biomarker profile of disease severity or disease course., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, causes numerous cellular dysfunctions. The virus enters the host cells and hijacks the cell machinery for its replication, resulting in disturbances of the oxidative, reductive balance, increased production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial dysfunction. This damaging cycle can make cells less resistant to infection and make the host more likely to experience a severe disease course. Treatment with antioxidants has been tested as a potential approach to reduce the effects of this disorder. Here, we present a protocol to assess the impact of treatment with a mixture of curcuminoids on physiological and molecular biomarkers, focusing on determining total antioxidant capacity. We used a cohort of diabetes patients with an imbalance in redox mechanisms as such patients are more likely to become severely ill from COVID-19 than healthy persons., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has affected millions of individuals, causing major health and economic disruptions worldwide. The pandemic is still raging, with a second and third wave in a few countries, while new infections steadily rise in India. Nutrition and immune status are two critical aspects of fighting the virus successfully. Recently, selenium status was reported to positively correlate with the survival of patients with COVID-19 compared with non-survivors. We analyzed the blood serum levels in 30 apparently healthy individuals and in 30 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection in the southern part of India. The patients showed significantly lower selenium levels of 69.2 ± 8.7 ng/mL than controls 79.1 ± 10.9 ng/mL. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0003). Interestingly, the control group showed a borderline level of selenium, suggesting that the level of this micronutrient is not optimum in the population studied. The results of this exploratory study pave the way for further research in a larger population and suggest that selenium supplementation may be helpful in reducing the effects of the virus., (Copyright © 2020 Sami-Sabinsa Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is far from over as new strains are emerging all over the world. Selenium as a micronutrient is important for immunity and also has anti-viral activity. Objective: The study evaluated the activity of a Selenium enriched garlic powder (SeGP or SelenoForce®) against SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in vitro and explored its possible mechanism of action. Methods: The anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity assay was carried out in Vero E6 cells in vitro. Human lung carcinoma A549 cells were used to study the antioxidant activity, expression of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and the activity of proprotein convertase, and furin. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Results: SeGP inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells with an IC50 of 19.59 μg/ml. It exhibited significant antioxidant activity in vitro with IC50 value determined as 43.45 μg/ml. The Selenium enriched product inhibited the expression of ACE and TMPRSS2 and also showed inhibition of furin protease activity. In the presence of SeGP, the secretion of nitric oxide, interleukin −6 and TNF-α were reduced in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that Selenium enriched garlic powder could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 multiplication in vitro, reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators suggesting that it could be developed as an effective supplement or adjunct therapy to combat viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a global threat due to its infectivity and rapid transmission. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of herbal and mineral formulation (ImmuActive) as an adjunct therapy in COVID-19 patients. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 100 COVID-19 patients in three centers in Southern India, and 92 subjects completed the study. Subjects were followed up until they were discharged from the hospital or for a maximum of 28 days, whichever was earlier. The primary outcome parameters were the mean change and time required to change the ordinal scale of disease severity by one unit. The secondary outcomes were the time required to turn RT-PCR negative or get discharged from the hospital, change in modified Jackson's Symptom Severity score, and COVID-19 quality of life questionnaire. Results. The ordinal scale at the end of the study was significantly lower in COVID-19 patients supplemented with ImmuActive (0.57) than placebo (1.0), with a p value of 0.0043. The ordinal scale decreased by one unit within 2.35 days in ImmuActive-supplemented patients, while it took 3.36 days in placebo-supplemented patients. Days of hospitalization and time required to turn RT-PCR negative were comparatively lower in the ImmuActive arm than the placebo arm. Change in modified Jackson's Symptom Severity Score and COVID-19 QOL were significant from screening to the end of the study in both ImmuActive and placebo arms. There were no adverse events observed during the study period. Conclusion. The study results suggest that ImmuActive could be a beneficial and safe adjunct treatment for effectively managing COVID-19 infection symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the ongoing vaccination efforts, there is still an urgent need for safe and effective treatments to help curb the debilitating effects of COVID-19 disease. This systematic review aimed to investigate the efficacy of supplemental curcumin treatment on clinical outcomes and inflammation-related biomarker profiles in COVID-19 patients. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, ProQuest, and Ovid databases up to 30 June 2021 to find studies that assessed the effects of curcumin-related compounds in mild to severe COVID-19 patients. Six studies were identified which showed that curcumin supplementation led to a significant decrease in common symptoms, duration of hospitalization and deaths. In addition, all of these studies showed that the intervention led to amelioration of cytokine storm effects thought to be a driving force in severe COVID-19 cases. This was seen as a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in proinflammatory cytokines such as IL1β and IL6, with a concomitant significant (p < 0.05) increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-10, IL-35 and TGF-α. Taken together, these findings suggested that curcumin exerts its beneficial effects through at least partial restoration of pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance. In conclusion, curcumin supplementation may offer an efficacious and safe option for improving COVID-19 disease outcomes. We highlight the point that future clinical studies of COVID-19 disease should employ larger cohorts of patients in different clinical settings with standardized preparations of curcumin-related compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]