Nutrigenetics of antioxidant enzymes and micronutrient needs in the context of viral infections

Abstract

Sustaining adequate nutritional needs of a population is a challenging task in normal times and a-priori in times of crisis. There is no “one size fits all” solution that addresses nutrition. In relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, viral infections in general and RNA viruses in particular, are known to induce and promote oxidative stress, consequently increasing and draining the body’s demand for micronutrients, especially those related to antioxidant enzymatic systems, thus hindering the human body’s ability to cope optimally with oxidative stress. Common polymorphisms in major antioxidant enzymes, with world population minor allele frequencies ranging from 0.5% to 50%, are related to altered enzymatic function, with substantial potential effects on the body’s ability to cope with viral infection-induced oxidative stress. In this review we highlight common SNPs of the major antioxidant enzymes relevant to nutritional components in the context of viral infections, namely: superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidases and catalase. We delineate functional polymorphisms in several human antioxidant enzymes that require, especially during viral crisis, adequate and potentially additional nutritional support to cope with the disease pathological consequences. Thus, in face of the COVID-19 pandemic, nutrition should be tightly monitored and possibly supplemented, with special attention to those carrying common polymorphisms in antioxidant enzymes.