Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Adjunctive Therapy for COVID-19 Management: Review

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.