Tea Bioactive Modulate Innate Immunity: In Perception to COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Innate immunity impairment led to disruption in cascade of signaling pathways upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, diminish interferons, depleted natural killer cells and activate reactive oxygen species production. These conditions severely affected body's ability to fight against infectious diseases and also plays a pivotal role in disease progression. Here, in emphasis is on nutritional immunity for regulating effective innate immune response for combating against infectious diseases like novel coronavirus disease (COVID 19). Drawing from discoveries on in-vitro experiments, animal models and human trials, tea polyphenols, micronutrients, and vitamins has the potential to modulate and enhance innate immune response. This article provides a comprehensive review on tea (Camellia sinensis L) infusion (a hot water extract of dried processed tea leaves prepared from young shoots of tea plant) as an innate immunity modulator. Tea infusion is rich in polyphenols; epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and theaflavin (TF), major green and black tea polyphenols, respectively. Studies showed their immunomodulatory competence. Tea infusions are also rich in alkaloids; caffeine and its intermediates, theophylline and theobromine, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Tea plant being an acidophilic perennial crop can accumulate different micronutrients, viz., copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) from growing medium, i.e., from soil, which led to their considerable presence in tea infusion. Micronutrients are integral part of innate immune response. Overall, this review presents tea infusion as an important source of nutritional immunity which can enhance innate immune response in order to mitigate the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

Therapeutic Potential of EGCG, a Green Tea Polyphenol, for Treatment of Coronavirus Diseases

“…Since EGCG is reported to have anti-inflammatory activity, EGCG treatment could counteract the massive production of cytokines by regulating STAT1/3 and NF-κB signaling [ 55 ]. EGCG treatment can also upregulate interferon λ1 signaling, which is responsible for antiviral functions [ 56 ]. These findings suggest that EGCG treatment can relieve coronavirus symptoms by modulating the immune system.…”

A Review on the Biological Activity of Camellia Species

“…Flavonoids are a group of phenolic compounds present in plants mostly as secondary metabolites being widespread in their flowers, fruits (including nuts) or roots as well as in their sub products like wine or tea. Indeed, tea is pointed as an innate immunity modulator which can enhance immune response in order to mitigate COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) [ 80 ]. Its phenolics are believed to possess several benefits on health and can act as antiviral agents being their efficiency against human immune deficiency virus (HIV) [ 81 ], Herpes simplex virus, influenza virus [ 82 ] and hepatitis B and C virus [ 83 ] already reported.…”

The Impact of Nutrition on the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nutrition

“…The potential for food products, as functional foods or nutraceutical extracts from foods, to alleviate or modify COVID-19 transmission, morbidity or mortality is an especially attractive hypothesis when vaccines are not available. In reviewing the literature, the topic is replete with articles hypothesizing a beneficial effect of a healthy diet in reducing the incidence of COVID-19 infection and depressing its clinical symptoms [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. These articles review past association of a variety of nutritional factors that may influence infections in general and hypothesize that these same associations may modify COVID-19 viral morbidity and mortality.…”