Thymoquinone: shield and sword against SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Since its emergence, the epidemic scale of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has increased at an extraordinary rate. Governments, medical personnel, researchers, and companies work to the limits of their capabilities, in attempts to combat the virus. Companies are giving up current pro-jects and changing their activities to help with fighting the virus. In this difficult time, every piece of useful information is valuable. Here, we bring to the attention of the scientific and medical community thymoquinone (TQ), a substance mostly unknown to experts in Western countries, which holds the promise to help treat people infected with this novel virus by (1) by inhibiting its proliferation, (2) by killing it, (3) by killing the bacteria associated with pneumonia, (4) with its anti-inflammatory and (5) with its immunomodulatory effect – perhaps acting synergistically, or even as a prophylactic remedy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, due to its hydro-phobicity, the systemic bioavailability of TQ is low. Nanocarriers targeting the lungs exist, and TQ has already been successfully used in nanomedicines targeting different organs except the lungs. Thus, there is not a long way to go. This is the challenge for nanomedicine. It was an an-ecdotal case report that stimulated the investigation of the therapeutic effect of TQ and the deri-vation of a mechanism for its dual antiviral action, applicable to COVID-19. Furthermore, by exploiting the material published on the antiviral effect of TQ, we compared its antiviral mecha-nism with that of chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Our analysis indicates that the antiviral action of TQ is similar and most likely superior to that of CQ and HCQ, however, apparently without the adverse effects reported for CQ and HCQ. The broad antiviral spectrum and the mechanism by which TQ presumably neutralizes the new virus justifies the hypothesis that TQ is effective in treating COVID-19. [READ ARTICLE](https://doi.org/10.33218/001c.12984)