An evidence of microalgal peptides to target spike protein of COVID-19: In silico approach

Abstract

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected millions of lives and it is one of the deadliest viruses ever known and the effort to find a cure for COVID-19 has been very high. The purpose of the study was to investigate the anti -COVID effect from the peptides derived from microalgae. The peptides from microalgae exhibit antimicrobial, anti-allergic, anti-hypersensitive, anti-tumor and immune-modulatory properties. In the In silico study, 13 cyanobacterial specific peptides were retrieved based on the extensive literature survey and their structures were predicted using Discovery Studios Visualizer. The spike protein of the novel COVID19 was retrieved from PDB (6LU7) and further molecular docking was done with the peptides through CDOCKER. The five peptides were bound clearly to the spike protein (SP) and their inhibitory effect towards the SP was promising among 13 peptides investigated. Interestingly, LDAVNR derived from S.maxima have excellent binding and interaction energy showed −113.456 kcal/mol and −71.0736 kcal/mol respectively to target SP of COVID. The further investigation required for the in vitro confirmation of anti -COVID from indigenous microalgal species for the possible remedy in the pandemic.

The Possible Impact of Spirulina and Chlorella on some Hematological and Biochemical Aspects in Irradiated Rats

“…In general, microalgae are rich in various phytochemicals like carotenoids, phycocyanin, phenolics, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and sulphated polysaccharides [4,5]. These compounds are providing excellent various biological actions including, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumoral, antiinflammatory, and anti-allergy effects [6,7]. Some microalgae such as Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis have been used in several areas in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, nutrition, and functional quality of foods [8].…”

A review on the application of bioactive peptides as preservatives and functional ingredients in food model systems

“…There have been continuous efforts to get a cure for COVID‐19. Recently, in silico approach was utilized to identify anti‐COVID peptides from the microalgae Spirulina maxima (MubarakAli et al, 2021). MubarakAli et al (2021) used existing literature and Discovery Studios Visualizer to identify and predict the structures of 13 cyanobacterial‐specific peptides.…”

“…Recently, in silico approach was utilized to identify anti‐COVID peptides from the microalgae Spirulina maxima (MubarakAli et al, 2021). MubarakAli et al (2021) used existing literature and Discovery Studios Visualizer to identify and predict the structures of 13 cyanobacterial‐specific peptides. Further, molecular docking led to an understanding of the inhibitory effects of the peptides on the spike protein of COVID‐19 (MubarakAli et al, 2021).…”

“…MubarakAli et al (2021) used existing literature and Discovery Studios Visualizer to identify and predict the structures of 13 cyanobacterial‐specific peptides. Further, molecular docking led to an understanding of the inhibitory effects of the peptides on the spike protein of COVID‐19 (MubarakAli et al, 2021). Nevertheless, several aspects limit the widespread application of in silico prediction, such as overestimation of bioactivity due to overlapping sequences in a specific protein site, a limited number of online enzyme cutters, and hydrolytic factors such as protein structure, enzymatic efficiency, temperature, and pH (FitzGerald et al, 2020; Gu & Wu, 2013).…”

Therapeutic activity of fucoidan and carrageenan as marine algal polysaccharides against viruses

“…Mostly, sulfated polysaccharides, in particular, fucoidan and carrageenan, were investigated. However, it has recently been reported that the Spirulina (Ratha et al 2020 ) and Spirulina peptides (MubarakAli et al 2021 ) possess the inhibitory effect on COVID-19 by binding to the spike protein. Moreover, phlorotannins are promising antiviral compounds.…”