Graphical representation regarding sources, extraction techniques and nutraceutical perspectives of eugenol.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which reported in an outbreak in 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus belongs to the beta-coronavirus class, along with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus. Interestingly, the virus binds with angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 found in host cells, through the spike (S) protein that exists on its surface. This binding causes the entry of the virus into cells of the host organism. The actual mechanism used by the COVID-19 virus to induce disease is still speculative. A total of 44,322,504 cases, a 1,173,189 death toll and 32,486,703 recovery cases have been reported in 217 countries globally as of 28 October 2020. Symptoms from the infection of the virus include chest pain, fever, fatigue, nausea, and others. Acute respiratory stress syndrome, arrhythmia, and shock are some of the chronic manifestations recorded in severe COVID-19. Transmission is majorly by individual-to-individual through coughing, sneezing, etc. The lack of knowledge regarding the mechanism of and immune response to the virus has posed a challenge in the development of a novel drug and vaccine. Currently, treatment of the disease involves the use of anti-viral medications such as lopinavir, remdesivir, and other drugs. These drugs show some efficacy in the management of COVID-19. Studies are still on-going for the development of an ideal and novel drug for treatment. In terms of natural product intervention, Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) have been employed to alleviate the clinical manifestation and severity of the disease and have shown some efficacy. This review presents an updated detailed overview of COVID-19 and the virus, concerning its structure, epidemiology, symptoms and transmission, immune responses, and current interventions, and highlights the potential of TCM. It is anticipated that this review will further add to the understanding of COVID-19 and the virus, hence opening new research perspectives.
The combined effect of ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric field (PEF) was investigated on microbial load and bioactive compounds of grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice was PEF treated (flow rate: 80 ml/min, pulse frequency: 1 kHz, 20 kVcm−1 electric field strength, temperature: 40 °C, time: 600 μs) followed by US treatment in an ultrasonic bath cleaner radiating 600 W at frequency of 28 KHz and 20 °C for 30 min. PEF and US treatment resulted in a significant reduction in microbial load as compared to the control group. Using combined (PEF + US) treatment, carotenoids, lycopene, anthocyanin contents, and total antioxidant activity were increased from 0.84 μg/ml, 0.32 μg/ml, 1.37 mg/L, and 177.48 ascorbic acid equivalent µg/g (control) to 1.26 μg/ml, 0.92 μg/ml, 1.68 mg/L, and 262.32 ascorbic acid equivalent µg/g, respectively. The findings demonstrated that PEF + US could be successfully used for preserving bioactive compounds in grapefruit juice while improving the microbial quality for a better shelf‐life. Practical applications In recent years, nonthermal techniques, such as sonication and PEF or combination of these are used for the inactivation of microorganism and preserving the bioactive compounds of different juices. The results of the present study revealed that combined treatment (PEF + US) could improve the antioxidant activity, total phenolics, flavonols, flavonoids, lycopene, and total carotenoids. The findings of this study suggested that PEF + US has a potential to improve the quality of grapefruit juice and may be employed for the processing of grapefruit juice at industrial scale.
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