Immunostimulant and Antidepressant Effect of Natural Compounds in the Management of Covid-19 Symptoms

Abstract

In recent years, the use of natural compounds as adjuvant treatments and alternatives to traditional pharmacological therapies has become increasingly popular. These compounds have a wide range of biological effects, such as: antioxidant, anti-aging, hypocholesterolizing, hypoglycemic, antitumoral, antidepressant, anxiolytic activity, etc. Almost all of these compounds are easily available and are contained in different foods. At the end of 2019 the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 appeared in China and quickly spread throughout the world, causing a pandemic. The most common symptoms of this infection are dry cough, fever, dyspnea, and in severe cases bilateral interstitial pneumonia, with consequences that can lead to death. The nations, in trying to prevent the spread of infection, have imposed social distancing and lockdown measures on their citizens. This had a strong psychological-social impact, leading to phobic, anxious and depressive states. Pharmacological therapy could be accompanied by treatment with several natural compounds, such as vitamins, baicalein, zinc and essential oils. These compounds possess marked immunostimulant activity, strengthening the immune response and mitigating interactions between the virus and the host cell. They also have an antidepressant effect, acting on certain neurotransmitters.

Graphical Abstract

Key teaching points

• Highlight how several nutraceuticals may have an immunostimulant and antidepressant effect on Covid-19 symptoms.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• depression
• immune system
• vitamins
• zinc
• baicalein

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to all the researchers whom we cited in this review for their significant and valuable research.

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Table 1. Summary of immunostimulant effects of nutraceuticals in the management of COVID-19 symptoms.

Table 2. Summary of antidepressant effects of nutraceuticals in the management of COVID-19-related symptoms.

Table 3. Summary of immunostimulant and antidepressant mechanism of nutraceuticals in the management of COVID-19-related symptoms.