Therapeutic and Nutritional Potential of Spirulina in Combating COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

Human history has witnessed various pandemics throughout, and these cause disastrous effects on human health and country’s economy. Once again, after SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), the world is observing a very tough time fighting an invisible enemy, the novel COVID-19 coronavirus. Initially observed in the Wuhan province of China, now, it has spread across 210 countries. Number of corona affected confirmed cases have reached > 3 million globally and death toll has reached to 258,481 as on 6th May,2020. Researchers are working round the clock, forming collaborative efforts and sharing their data to come up with a cure for this disease. The new coronavirus genome was quickly sequenced and clinical and epidemiological data are continuously being collected and analyzed. This data is crucial for forming better public health policies and developing antiviral drugs and vaccines. As there is no vaccine available in market against COVID-19, personal health, immunity, social distancing and basic protection measures are extremely important. It is critical to avoid the virus infection and to strengthen the immune system as the coronavirus can be fatal for those with weak immunity. This article reviews the nutritional and therapeutic potential of Spirulina, which is considered as superfood and a natural supplement to strengthen the immune system. Spirulina is highly nutritious and has hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic and antihypertensive properties. Spirulina contains several bioactive compounds, such as phenols, phycobiliproteins and sulphated polysaccharides and many more with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant/ immunomodulatory effects.

Microalgae: therapeutic potentials and applications

“…Studies have indicated that these microalgae have potent antiviral activities. Calcium spirulan is a polysaccharide derived from spirulina, which inhibits the replication of several viruses, such as influenza, mumps, and HIV [ 35 ]. Furthermore, S. platensis could activate the immune system against viruses through the activation of immune cells and inducing the production of interferon-gamma, which is an important cytokine with antiviral activity.…”

“…Phycocyanin is also a pigment obtained from spirulina and an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase with anti-inflammatory activity. It seems that microalgae (especially Spirulina) are effective candidates for the adjuvant therapy of COVID-19 patients [ 35 ].…”

Natural Antioxidants to the Rescue?

“…Moreover, studies suggested that Spirulina may be safe for managing influenza outbreaks, however, additional investigations are needed. [80][81][82].…”

Can Algal Derived Bioactive Metabolites Serve as Potential Therapeutics for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Like Viral Infection?

“…However, as recommended by Pendyala and Patras ( 2020 ), further in-vitro and/or in-vivo studies will be crucially needed to support the obtained docking results and unravel the underlying potential of PCB as therapeutic for COVID-19. Additionally, the purified allophycocyanin obtained from Spirulina platensis has been demonstrated to exhibit significant activity against enterovirus 71 (Singh et al, 2020 ). It was observed that the cytopathic effects of the viral infection were neutralized and the viral RNA synthesis was delayed by the microalgal pigment allophycocyanin.…”