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Today, we are living in the era of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), a pandemic that has affected almost the whole globe. It has rightly been called as the 'twenty-first-century plague' which has garnered considerable attention from researchers, pharma companies, policymakers, and media. Though vaccines are being deployed and people are eagerly receiving vaccination; the duration of conferred immunity, the possibility of re-infection of recovered/vaccinated individuals, the consequence of the new mutation in SARS-CoV-2 and its impact and challenge for the efficacy and degree of protection that a potential vaccine could provide is under question. In the absence of any definite answer, people are turning towards natural remedies and spices. India is known globally as the land of spices. Spices like ginger, garlic, black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, clove, cinnamon, etc., are known for their rich aroma, texture, and immunity boosting ingredients. These are rich sources of antioxidants such as flavonoids and alkaloids. The antioxidants present in them, neutralise the free radicals generated inside the body during viral infections and also prevent cellular damage. These exhibit anti-inflammatory activity and have the potential to combat "cytokine storm" in severe COVID-19 infection. Their potential has been realized by the public and has led to a tremendous increase in global demand and consumption. The present review enlists the active ingredients present in important spices and addresses their antioxidants, antiinflammatory, and anti-viral action. Traditional Indian spices that are not only a cardinal part of the diet but are affordable, easily available can be viewed as the light at the end of the tunnel to combat the current COVID-19 conditions as a preventive measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokine storm is the exaggerated immune response often observed in viral infections. It is also intimately linked with the progression of COVID-19 disease as well as associated complications and mortality. Therefore, targeting the cytokine storm might help in reducing COVID-19-associated health complications. The number of COVID-19 associated deaths (as of January 15, 2021; https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) in the USA is high (1199/million) as compared to countries like India (110/million). Although the reason behind this is not clear, spices may have some role in explaining this difference. Spices and herbs are used in different traditional medicines, especially in countries such as India to treat various chronic diseases due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To evaluate the literature available on the anti-inflammatory properties of spices which might prove beneficial in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 associated cytokine storm. A detailed literature search has been conducted on PubMed for collecting information pertaining to the COVID-19; the history, origin, key structural features, and mechanism of infection of SARS-CoV-2; the repurposed drugs in use for the management of COVID-19, and the anti-inflammatory role of spices to combat COVID-19 associated cytokine storm. The literature search resulted in numerous in vitro , in vivo and clinical trials that have reported the potency of spices to exert anti-inflammatory effects by regulating crucial molecular targets for inflammation. As spices are derived from Mother Nature and are inexpensive, they are relatively safer to consume. Therefore, their anti-inflammatory property can be exploited to combat the cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. This review thus focuses on the current knowledge on the role of spices for the treatment of COVID-19 through suppression of inflammation-linked cytokine storm. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]