Curcumin (active component of turmeric): New therapeutic option against COVID‐19.
Keywords:
Turmeric, Curcumin, Influenza, Immunity booster, COVID-19Abstract
As the world has laid down its arms in the battle against the deadly Coronavirus, researchers around the world are trying their best to find a cure from this virus. Till date there is no specific antiviral therapy available to treat COVID-19 patients. Recent studies have shown that turmeric has potent antiviral properties. In India turmeric has been a quintessential part of Indian households. Right from its use in religious rituals to using it for medicinal purposes to using it as a spice for cooking, turmeric has been an inseparable part of our life. Since ages this spice has been used extensively as an immunity booster and for its health enriching properties. With the deadly Corona virus attack, this spice is being used more-than-ever to prepare medicines. Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric is extensively used in our Indian traditional herbal medicines to cure many diseases associated with infection and inflammation for many decades. Curcumin exerts antiviral activities against broad spectrum of viruses including HIV, HSV-2, HPV viruses, Influenza virus, Zikavirus, Hepatitis virus and Adenovirus. It has shown promising efficacy against influenza A viral infections. Scientific evidence suggests that curcumin could have a potential role to treat COVID‐19. Nutritional supplements of curcumin with vitamin C and zinc have showed promising results in boosting the natural immunity and protective defense against the CoV infections. Well‐defined studies should be performed to evaluate the efficacy of curcumin against SARS‐CoV‐2 and assess its value as a possible treatment for this deadly virus.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Subha Bose Banerjee
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