Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Adjunctive Therapy for COVID-19 Management: Review
Eman M. El-Sayed1
, Khadiga S Ibrahim2 and Eman Refaat Youness3*1Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
2Environmental and Occupational Medicine Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
3Medical Biochemistry Department, Medical Researches and, Clinical Studies National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
Corresponding Author E-mail: hoctober2000@yahoo.com
Abstract: Patients with severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience thrombotic complications, cytokine storm, immune disorder, hypoxia, numerous disturbances in iron homeostasis, and increased oxidative stress. In addition to the appearance of the classic onset symptoms of COVID-19 which are cough fever and chest pain. Dietary supplements or nutraceuticals can be used as an adjunct treatment to improve patients' recovery. Omega 3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3PUFAs) in particular, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exhibit anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and immunomodulatory properties that, when combined with the appropriate therapeutic intervention, may improve patient outcomes. Upon oxidation, EPA and DHA produce specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) that induce resolution of inflammation through inhibiting neutrophil migration, enhancing macrophage phagocytosis, and decreasing proinflammatory mediators which are risk factors for COVID-19 and increasing its severity. Moreover, ω-3PUFAs have many pathways to ameliorate various metabolic changes induced by viral infection. In this review, we attempted to summarize the available literature to understand the actual role of ω-3PUFAs that might improve or protect against COVID-19 and to determine whether it is possible to administer ω-3PUFAs as a co-therapy with conventional COVID-19 treatments.
Keywords: COVID-19, inflammation; Immunity; Iron homeostasis; Pro-resolvins ω-3 PUFAs Back to TOC