Journal of Inflammation Research (May 2021)
Fat-Soluble Vitamins and the Current Global Pandemic of COVID-19: Evidence-Based Efficacy from Literature Review
Abstract
Nandeeta Samad,1 Siddhartha Dutta,2 Temitayo Eniola Sodunke,3 Adiba Fairuz,4 Ashmita Sapkota,5 Zannatul Ferdous Miftah,6 Iffat Jahan,7 Paras Sharma,8 Abdullahi Rabiu Abubakar,9 Adekunle Babajide Rowaiye,10 Angus Nnamdi Oli,10 Jaykaran Charan,2 Salequl Islam,11 Mainul Haque12 1Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh; 2Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India; 3Department of Anatomy, University of Ilorin, Nigeria; 4Department of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 5Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand; 6Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 7Department of Physiology, Eastern Medical College, Cumilla, Bangladesh; 8Department of Pharmacognosy, BVM College of Pharmacy, Gwalior, India; 9Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria; 10Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria; 11Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 12Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCorrespondence: Mainul HaqueUnit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, 57000, MalaysiaTel +60109265543Email [email protected]: The outbreak of pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), later named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), was initiated at Wuhan, Hubei, China, and there was a rapid spread of novel SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19 in late 2019. The entire world is now experiencing the challenge of COVID-19 infection. However, still very few evidence-based treatment options are available for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease. The present review aims to summarize the publicly available information to give a comprehensive yet balanced scientific overview of all the fat-soluble vitamins concerning their role in SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. The roles of different fat-soluble vitamins and micronutrients in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection have been recently explored in several studies. There are various hypotheses to suggest their use to minimize the severity of COVID-19 infection. These vitamins are pivotal in the maintenance and modulation of innate and cell-mediated, and antibody-mediated immune responses. The data reported in recent literature demonstrate that deficiency in one or more of these vitamins compromises the patients’ immune response and makes them more vulnerable to viral infections and perhaps worse disease prognosis. Vitamins A, D, E, and K boost the body’s defense mechanism against COVID-19 infection and specifically prevent its complications such as cytokine storm and other inflammatory processes, leading to increased morbidity and mortality overemphasis. However, more detailed randomized double-blind clinical pieces of evidence are required to define the use of these supplements in preventing or reducing the severity of the COVID-19 infection.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, fat-soluble vitamins, micronutrients, immune response
