https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1999-3466
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Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first officially diagnosed in the city of Wuhan, China in January 2020. In reality, the disease was identified in December 2019 in the same city where patients began showing symptoms of pneumonia of unidentified origin. Very soon the disease became a global pandemic due to the suppression of information in the country of origin and inadequate testing for the COVID-19 virus. Currently, > 101 million people have been found positive for this virus and > 2.17 million people have died. There are no signs that COVID-19 is slowing down. This deadly virus affects multiple vital organs (lungs, heart, nervous system, blood, and immune system), yet its exact mechanism of pathophysiology remains obscure. Depending on the viral load, sick people often show symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, coagulopathy, cardiac abnormalities, fatigue, and death. Great strides have been made in COVID-19 testing, thereby allowing timely therapeutic intervention. Currently, vaccines are on the market from Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca with limited supply. Phase III clinical trials are also underway from other manufacturers. In the current scenario, nutraceuticals and other phyto-mineral supplements appear to be promising alternative solutions for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Declaration of interest
If none: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
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Notes on contributors
Ajay Srivastava
Dr. Ajay Srivastava earned his DVM from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, and his Masters and PhD in medical pharmacology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He pursued his post-doctoral training in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Utah. Dr. Srivastava received a certificate in clinical pharmacology from the National Institutes of Health and executive education in product innovation from the Harvard University Business School. At the University of Utah, Dr. Srivastava served as Senior Scientist for the anticonvulsant drug development program. Currently, he serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Wisconsin, and as Chief Scientific Officer at Vets Plus Group of Companies, Menomonie, WI, USA. Dr. Srivastava was first to propose the antioxidant role of melatonin and resveratrol in head injury model and published his findings in peer reviewed journals. Dr Srivastava has a large number of original research papers, reviews, and book chapters to his credit. He is coeditor of two major books in the field of nutraceuticals: (1) Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine (Springer Nature), (2) Nutraceuticals: Efficacy, Safety and Toxicity, 2nd edition (Academic Press/Elsevier). Dr Srivastava owns several patents on nutraceuticals in health and diseases. Currently, he holds active membership in several organizations/scientific bodies, including Cannabis Society, American Epilepsy Association, and International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). Dr. Srivastava is a leading expert in nutritional and neuropharmacology with 20 years of experience in nutraceuticals, nutritional and pharmaceutical product Development.
Ramesh C. Gupta
Dr. Ramesh C. Gupta, earned his DVM, MVSc, and PhD in India, and pursued postdoctoral training at Michigan State University (1981-1983) and Vanderbilt University (1983-1987). Currently, he serves as Professor and Head of the Toxicology Department, Breathitt Veterinary Center, Murray State University, Hopkinsville, Kentucky. For more than 45 years, he has conducted experimental brain research in relation to pesticides and neurodegenerative diseases, and for the last twenty years has been heavily engaged in nutraceuticals research. He has made presentations in the UK, France, Australia, Italy, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, South Korea, and China. Dr. Gupta has served on the panels of NIH, CDC, NIOSH, and National Academy of Sciences, and has 460 publications to his credit, including eight major books: (1) Nutraceuticals: Efficacy, Safety and Toxicity, (2) Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine (3) Toxicology of Organophosphate and Carbamate Compounds, (4) Veterinary Toxicology: Basic and Clinical Principles, (5) Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents, (6) Anticholinesterase Pesticides: Metabolism, Neurotoxicity and Epidemiology, (7) Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, and (8) Biomarkers in Toxicology,. Currently, he holds active membership of American College of Nutrition, AVMA, ASPET, SOT, EuroTox, ISSX, and American College of Toxicology.
Robin B. Doss
Ms. Robin B. Doss earned her BS degree in animal health technology from Murray State University in 1985. After several years of serving in clinical practice, she joined Breathitt Veterinary Center of Murray State University in 1993 as analytical chemist. In the past 28 years, she has been actively engaged in research projects on therapeutic efficacy and safety evaluation of many nutraceuticals for osteoarthritis and experimental toxicology research on pesticides. Ms. Doss has a large number of publications in peer-reviewed journals and chapters in books (1. Nutraceuticals: Efficacy, Safety and Toxicity, 2nd edn; 2. Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine; 3. Biomarkers in Toxicology, 2nd edn; 4. Veterinary Toxicology: Basic and Clinical Principles, 3rd edn; 5. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, 2nd edn; 6. Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents, 3rd edn; and 7. The Merck Veterinary Manual, 12th edition). Recently, Ms. Doss has also co-authored a review article on “Resveratrol in health and diseases: Safety and toxicity considerations” in London Journal of Medical and Health Research. During her tenure at Murray State University, Ms. Doss has assisted more than 35 graduate students in pursuing their research projects on nutraceuticals.
Rajiv Lall
Mr. Rajiv Lall is the Founder and CEO of Vets Plus, Inc., an international leader in the animal health industry. He graduated with two Masters degrees, the first in Botany from India, and the second in Pharmacognosy/Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. His research focused on identifying, analyzing, and extracting natural ingredients from plants and plant tissue cultures that provide natural health and medicinal properties, as well as on enzymes in relation to cancer cells through animal cell cultures. Mr. Lall started his career in the human health food industry with an emphasis on probiotics. His relentless drive continues to champion animal health through scientific research and the development of nutritional products and pharmaceuticals, and through these efforts he has obtained various patents and developed several hundred products. His company, Vets Plus, Inc. is a research and science-based product development company with a strong quality and manufacturing platform to support partners in Europe and around the world. Recent awards include the Pet Age Icon Award (2015), NASC Visibility Award (2015), and Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award (2015). Vets Plus Inc. was also nominated for Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year in 2015. In support of the animal health industry, Mr. Lall is now Founder and CEO of Noble Pharma, LLC, a pharmaceutical company in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Mr. Lall and his wife Swati are involved in philanthropic efforts and through that they have developed the Raj and Swati Lall Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in support of future scientists and business leaders and the community in Menomonie, Wisconsin.