Abstract
Quercetin, for its crucial properties, fulfills the need for a multifactor action that is useful for the potential counterbalance of a COVID-19 infection. Given this background, the aim of the study was to evaluate the potential effect of 3 months’ supplementation with Quercetin Phytosome® (250 mg twice a day) as prevention against symptomatic COVID-19. In total, 120 subjects were enrolled (males, 63; females, 57; age 49 ± 12), with 60 in the supplementation group and 60 in the placebo group. No significant differences were detected between groups in terms of gender, smoking, and chronic disease. Subjects underwent rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests every 3 weeks. During our study, 5 subjects had COVID-19, 1 out of 60 subjects in the quercetin group and 4 out of 60 in the control group. Complete clinical remission was recorded at 7 and 15 days in the quercetin and placebo groups, respectively. Analysis showed that, at 5 months, the COVID free survival function (risk of infection) was 99.8% in subjects under quercetin supplementation and 96.5% in control group. As shown by the value of EXP(B), those who had taken the supplement had a protection factor of 14% more to not contract the COVID-19 infection than that of those who had taken a placebo. Obtained results are encouraging, but further studies are required to add quercetin as regular prophylaxis.
Highlights
The viral infection, which began in December 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, has forced humanity to face a global health crisis
COVID-19 infection is associated with a first phase with prevalent immune involvement, and a second phase characterized by a cytokine storm and macrophage activation syndrome, showing how in serum samples taken from COVID-19 patients, senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASP), such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), plasminogen activator inhibitor1 (PAI-1), metalloproteinase chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and tissue metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1), were overexpressed factors during symptomatic infection
In the event that the subject tested positive for COVID-19 in the rapid diagnostic tests, they were subjected to a confirmative SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
Summary
The viral infection, which began in December 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, has forced humanity to face a global health crisis. The scientific literature has reported that some botanicals possess this multibiological activity, as they have the ability to modulate both immune and inflammatory responses in individuals suffering from respiratory symptoms [8] Among these botanicals, quercetin is supported by an extensive scientific literature in vitro and in animal models, as reported in a recent review by Aucoin that demonstrated its capacity to modulate multiple biological pathways, and acknowledged 4 major properties helpful for respiratory and immune health: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, and antiviral [9]. A second human study [12] confirmed the positive antioxidant effects of Quercetin Phytosome® after supplementation in individuals suffering from allergic rhinitis and asthma (airway allergy), being more effective than the standard management in reducing oxidative stress (by measurement of plasma free radicals). 3-month period of quercetin supplementation (500 mg of Quercetin Phytosome® ) is useful in prevention of COVID-19 infection and against symptomatic COVID-19 disease in healthcare workers
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