Coronaviruses Research Articles

Indomethacin inhibits human seasonal coronaviruses at late stages of viral replication in lung cells: Impact on virus-induced COX-2 expression

Coronaviruses (CoV), zoonotic viruses periodically emerging worldwide, represent a constant potential threat to humans. To date, seven human coronaviruses (HCoV) have been identified: HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1, globally circulating in the human population (seasonal coronaviruses, sHCoV), and three highly-pathogenic coronaviruses, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Although sHCoV generally cause only mild respiratory diseases, severe complications may occur in specific populations, highlighting the need for broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drugs. Herein we show that indomethacin (INDO), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used in the clinic for its potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, effectively inhibits the replication of Alpha-coronavirus HCoV-229E and Beta-coronavirus HCoV-OC43 in human lung-derived cells. Indomethacin does not interfere with HCoV binding or entry into target cells, but acts at late stages of the virus life cycle, inhibiting viral RNA synthesis and infectious viral particles production. Although INDO anti-inflammatory action is mediated by blocking cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 (COX-1/2) enzymatic activity, the antiviral effect appears to be cyclooxygenase-independent and is not mimicked by the potent COX-1/2 inhibitor aspirin. Interestingly we found that both seasonal HCoVs markedly (>100 fold) induce the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator COX-2 in lung cells; notably, INDO-treatment was found to effectively inhibit virus-induced COX-2 expression at the transcriptional level, revealing an additional mechanism to prevent COX-2-mediated inflammatory reactions in HCoV-infected lung cells, besides COX activity inhibition. Altogether the results indicate that indomethacin, possessing both potent anti-inflammatory properties and a direct antiviral activity against HCoV, could be effective in the treatment of Alpha- and Beta-coronavirus infections.

Carbon Nano-Dots based potentiometric sensor for the assay of the antiviral agent; Valacyclovir: In-Depth DFT Calculations, application to the pharmaceutical formulation and greenness assessment

Valacyclovir (VAL), as a prodrug to acyclovir antiviral agent, has recently held a lot of interest for its efficacy boosting owing to the significant improvement in bioavailability. This makes it a successful candidate in the management of herpes simplex strains as well as CORONA viruses. In this work a carbon nano dot-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) has been optimized as potentiometric sensor for the assay of VAL through a systematic approach. A mixture components of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane have been selected and fine-tuned for optimum sensitivity and selectivity. The best results have been obtained by drop casting a blend in % w/w of PVC; 30.85, tricrasyl phosphate (TCP) as plasticizer; 64.32, phosphotungstic acid (PT) as cation exchanger; 1.61 and phosphorus – nitrogen-doped carbon nano-dots (PNCDs); 3.22 over the GCE. The density function theory (DFT) calculations have been applied to the optimized structures of VAL and the CDs and have proven high binding affinity of 46 kcal/mol dominated by π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding. The developed sensor has exhibited a swift response time of six seconds at a 5.00 pH value. The ICH guidelines have been applied to validate the optimized parameters. A good linearity range has been obtained from 1.18 × 10-3 down to 1.07 × 10-6 M for a correlation coefficient 0.9996 with a Nernstian slope of 33.16 mV/decade. The greenness has been assessed using the AGREE approach, giving a score of 0.8, which has indicated the environmental friendliness. An average % recovery of almost 99.00 % was obtained by application to the tablet formulations and furtherly it has been monitored by the standard addition method, giving recoveries varied from 98.00 and up to 102.00 % for relative standard deviation values (%RSD) less than 1.50 %, evidencing efficiency for application in the quality control laboratories.

Disulfiram inhibits coronaviral main protease by conjugating to its substrate entry site

Coronaviruses (CoV) are highly pathogenic single-strand RNA viruses. CoV infections cause fatal respiratory symptoms and lung injuries in humans and significant economic losses in livestock. Since the SARS-2 outbreak in 2019, the highly conserved main protease (Mpro), also termed 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), has been considered an attractive drug target for treating CoV infections. Mpro mediates the proteolytic cleavage of eleven sites in viral polypeptides necessary for virus replication. Here, we report that disulfiram, an FDA-approved drug for alcoholic treatment, exhibits a broad-spectrum inhibitory effect on CoV Mpros. Analytical ultracentrifugation and circular dichroism analyses indicated that disulfiram treatment blocks the dimeric formation of SARS and PEDV Mpros and decreases the thermostability of SARS, SARS-2, and PEDV Mpros, whereas it facilitates the dimerization and stability of MERS Mpro. Furthermore, mass spectrometry and structural alignment revealed that disulfiram targets the Cys44 residue of Mpros, which is located at the substrate entrance and close to the catalytic His41. In addition, molecular docking analysis suggests that disulfiram conjugation interferes with substrate entry to the catalytic center. In agreement, mutation of Cys44 modulates the disulfiram sensitivity of CoV Mpros. Our study suggests a broad-spectrum inhibitory function of disulfiram against CoV Mpros.

The glycoprotein quality control factor Malectin promotes coronavirus replication and viral protein biogenesis.

Coronaviruses (CoV) rewire host protein homeostasis (proteostasis) networks through interactions between viral nonstructural proteins (nsps) and host factors to promote infection. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, it is imperative to characterize host interactors shared across nsp homologs. Using quantitative proteomics and functional genetic screening, we identify conserved proteostasis interactors of nsp2 and nsp4 that serve pro-viral roles during infection of murine hepatitis virus - a model betacoronavirus. We uncover a glycoprotein quality control factor, Malectin (MLEC), which significantly reduces infectious titers when knocked down. During infection, nsp2 interacts with MLEC-associated proteins and the MLEC-interactome is drastically altered, stabilizing association with the Oligosaccheryltransferase (OST) complex, a crucial component of viral glycoprotein production. MLEC promotes viral protein levels and genome replication through its quality control activity. Lastly, we show MLEC promotes SARS-CoV-2 replication. Our results reveal a role for MLEC in mediating CoV infection and identify a potential target for pan-CoV antivirals.

Estimation of the UV susceptibility of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 to 254 nm irradiation using CFD-based room disinfection simulations

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has raised interest in efficient air disinfection solutions. The application of germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) irradiation is an excellent contender to prevent airborne transmission of COVID-19, as well as other existing and future infectious airborne diseases. While GUV has already been proven effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2, quantitative data on UV susceptibility and dose requirements, needed to predict and optimize the performance of GUV solutions, is still limited. In this study, the UV susceptibility of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 to 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is investigated. This is done by employing 3D computational fluid dynamics based simulations of SARS-CoV-2 inactivation in a test chamber equipped with an upper-room UV-C luminaire and comparing the results to previously published measurements performed in the same test chamber. The UV susceptibility found in this study is (0.6 ± 0.2) m2/J, which is equivalent to a D90 dose between 3 and 6 J/m2. These values are in the same range as previous estimations based on other corona viruses and inactivation data reported in literature.

Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Next-generation universal vaccines and immunotherapeutic research

Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Next-generation universal vaccines and immunotherapeutic research With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, we need to focus on universal vaccines and/or immunotherapeutic strategies and technologies to tackle ongoing endemic infections with SARS-CoV2, influenza, and RSV and prepare for any future pandemics, says Dr Babita Agrawal. In the 21st century, we have witnessed the emergence of respiratory infections with pandemic potential, like corona and influenza viruses, on multiple occasions. Due to the global dissemination of one such coronavirus, SARS-CoV2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus type-2), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a worldwide pandemic in March 2020. The global public health emergency was declared over in May 2023 by the WHO, but infections with variants of SARS-CoV2 continue to evolve and cause infections worldwide. (1) Besides public health measures, developing, approving, and implementing vaccines against SARS-CoV2 have helped mitigate and end the pandemic. However, the existing vaccines against SARS-CoV2 are not preventive, do not induce mucosal immunity, induce only short-term protection and are ineffective against emerging variants, thereby requiring regular updated boosters.

Health education for pregnant mothers on coronavirus (Covid-19) prevention and transmission

Health education for pregnant mothers on coronavirus (Covid-19) prevention and transmission

Amantadine interactions with phase separated lipid membranes

Amantadine, a small amphilphic organic compound that consists of an adamantane backbone and an amino group, was first recognized as an antiviral in 1963 and received approval for prophylaxis against the type A influenza virus in 1976. Since then, it has also been used to treat Parkinson’s disease-related dyskinesia and is being considered as a treatment for corona viruses. Since amantadine usually targets membrane-bound proteins, its interactions with the membrane are also thought to be important. Biological membranes are now widely understood to be laterally heterogeneous and certain proteins are known to preferentially co-localize within specific lipid domains. Does amantadine, therefore, preferentially localize in certain lipid composition domains? To address this question, we studied amantadine’s interactions with phase separating membranes composed of cholesterol, DSPC (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine), and DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), as well as single-phase DPhPC (1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phos-phocholine) membranes. From Langmuir trough and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, we determined, respectively, that amantadine preferentially binds to disordered lipids, such as POPC, and lowers the phase transition temperature of POPC/DSPC/cholesterol mixtures, implying that amantadine increases membrane disorder. Further, using droplet interface bilayers (DIBs), we observed that amantadine disrupts DPhPC membranes, consistent with its disordering properties. Finally, we carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on POPC/DSPC/cholesterol membranes with varying amounts of amantadine. Consistent with experiment, MD simulations showed that amantadine prefers to associate with disordered POPC-rich domains, domain boundaries, and lipid glycerol backbones. Since different proteins co-localize with different lipid domains, our results have possible implications as to which classes of proteins may be better targets for amantadine.

How Much Potential Do Nucleoside Analogs Offer to Combat Human Corona Viruses?

Nucleoside analogs (NAs) have been extensively examined as plausible antiviral agents in recent years, in particular since the outbreak of the global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2019. In this review, the structures and antiviral properties of over 450 NAs are collected according to the type of virus, namely SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. The activity of the NAs against HCoV-related enzymes is also presented. Selected studies dealing with the mode of action of the NAs are discussed in detail. The repurposing of known NAs appears to be the most extensively investigated scientific approach towards efficacious anti-HCoV agents. The recently reported de novo-designed NAs seem to open up additional approaches to new drug candidates.

Diagnostic utility of laboratory parameters in COVID 19 patients

ABSTRACT Background: Several pneumonia cases caused by new corona virus were reported in Wuhan, China, since December 2019. This evolved into global pandemic and the World Health Organization (WHO) named this virus as severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS COV-2) by the WHO. Corona viruses can manifest many infections such as respiratory, neurologic, and hepatic diseases. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in a tertiary hospital from March 2020 to January 2021. A total of 8017 cases were included in the study. The complete blood counts data were collected from records and analyzed. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated. Results: The laboratory parameters studied in 8017 cases showed the following results, the NLR and PLR ratios were increased in most of the cases 45.4% and 61.5%, respectively. Also lymphopenia was seen in maximum cases (46.6%). The remaining parameters such as hemoglobin, total counts, and platelet count were in normal range in most of the cases, that is, 67.7%, 68.7%, and 81.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Our study examined the hematological parameters of large number of cases of SARS–COVID-19 patients. The significant findings of the study were that higher values of NLR, PLR, leucocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytosis were observed in good number of cases. Hence, lymphocytes, NLR, and PLR ratios can be used to predict the severity of disease.

Investigating the Challenges and Facilitators of Corona Virus Prevention by Environmental Health Experts and Experts in Food Preparation and Distribution Centers: Qualitative Study

Investigating the Challenges and Facilitators of Corona Virus Prevention by Environmental Health Experts and Experts in Food Preparation and Distribution Centers: Qualitative Study

COVID-19 and flu vaccination in Romania, post pandemic lessons in healthcare workers and general population.

Influenza and corona viruses generate vaccine preventable diseases and have pandemic potential, frequently dramatic. A co-infection with these viruses, may be a new worldwide threat, researchers name it flurona. The aim of our study is to assess flu and COVID-19 Romanian vaccination for 2022-2023 season and the factor associated with higher odds to receive flu and COVID-19 vaccine. An analytical cross-sectional observational survey was conducted in the general population; a self-administered questionnaire was used. 1056 responders were analyzed, mean age 32.08 ±13.36 years (limits:18-76), majority, 880 (83.33%), from urban areas, 608 (57.58%), high school graduated, 400 (37.88%) parents. More than half of the responders were healthcare workers, 582 (55.11%), also considered study population. In the study group, 796 (73.37%) responders consider flurona vaccination useful; and 872 (82.57%) responders consider that no sanctions are needed for not flurona vaccinating. In the 2022-2023 season, 162 (15.34%) responders vaccinated against the flu and 300 (28.41%) against COVID-19. The factor associated with higher odds to receive flu and COVID-19 vaccine was the habit of flu vaccination: for flu (OR = 58.43; 95% CI: (34.95-97.67)) and for COVID-19 (OR = 1.67; 95% CI: (1.21-2.31)). Other factors such as having university degree (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: (1.08-1.98)) and being a healthcare worker, (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: (1.07-1.87)) were influencing factors only for adult COVID-19 vaccination in the 2022-2023 season. In the parents' group, in 2022-2023 season, only 48 (12%) vaccinated their children against the flu and 68 (17%) against COVID-19, mostly parents that vaccinated themselves, p<0.001. In the 2022-2023 season, there were only 82 (7.65%) responders vaccinated against both diseases. Logistic regression analysis showed that no factor analyzed influenced the flurona vaccinated parent's decision to vaccinate their children for flu and for COVID-19. In the season 2022-2023, in Romania, the vaccination against flu and COVOD-19 is low, in adults and children as well. More efforts must be done to increase flurona vaccination, public health educational programs are strongly needed. Children, that are at greater risk when co-infecting with these viruses, must be vaccinated, school vaccination programs should be considered.

Corona virus – A natural catastrophe

Viruses, ultra-microscopic structures mainly are pathogens, which affect the human beings by causing endemic, epidemic and even pandemic diseases. Coronaviruses (CoV) - large family of enveloped viruses containing single stranded RNA, belong to the family: Coronaviridae, order: Nidovirales. Zoonotic coronaviruses have emerged in recent years to cause human outbreaks such as SARS - severe acute respiratory syndrome, MERS - Middle East respiratory syndrome and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-like CoVs observed in horse shoe bats like Rhinolophus macrotis &amp; R.sinicus which shed the virus in saliva and urine transmitting to human beings during the processing of bat meat. SARS-CoV-2 virions attach to human cells manifested as a respiratory infection. The clinical spectrum of illness varies from no symptoms or mild respiratory symptoms to severe, rapidly progressive pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, or multi organ failure resulting in death. There are many ways of diagnosis of COVID-19 through thermal checking for fever, symptoms like severe cough, cold etc., lung X-ray, antibody detection and PCR tests. ‘Prevention is better than cure’, a common proverb has lot of meaning in the present pandemic. Physical distancing, wearing mask in public places, sanitizing hands are now considered as most important steps in preventing COVID-19. Recently designated Omicron subvariant JN.1 is spreading causing the disease among the people. Probiotic drinks play an important role in inhibiting the ACE inhibiting biopeptide, preventing virus fusion to human lung cells and studies are going on in this aspect. Globally many vaccines have been released and used providing the immunity against the COVID-19. The present review article focuses on virus, classification, place of coronavirus, its impact on humans, clinical manifestation, prevention and control measures.

An analysis of the implementation of COVID-19 handling and control governments in Indonesia

The novel coronavirus has caused 6.85 million human deaths worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the coronavirus is here to stay, despite the declining trend of cases, but serious efforts are needed from all elements of society to end this global health crisis. Indonesia is one of the countries that is very consistent in suppressing the spread of the virus, one of the breakthroughs made is activating local government tools for prevention and serious handling. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Coronavirus prevention and handling model carried out by local governments throughout Indonesia. The results of this study prove that as many as 38 provinces with 415 districts in Indonesia have not been able to maximally implement the coronavirus prevention and handling model following the framework formulated by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, this is due to many factors, including; the work culture of the state apparatus, weak middle-level management, as well as weak monitoring and evaluation issues.

Perioperative Analysis of Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation at the Hospital de Clínicas da Unicamp in the Context of SARS-Cov-2 Pandemic

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 began in 2020 and caused important changes in the number of transplants performed in hospitals and in the protocols for admitting candidates to perform the procedure. The Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation (ABTO) recommends not performing transplants from donors with active COVID-19 infection, positive test results or with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The hepatic repercussions related to COVID-19 are presented in some reports in the medical literature. Liver changes resulting from other corona viruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are well documented. The Hospital de Clínicas of the State University of Campinas is a tertiary center that performs solid organ transplants. Objectives: To carry out a perioperative, retrospective, descriptive analysis of liver transplants in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic carried out at the Hospital das Clínicas of the State University of Campinas from March 2020 to July 2021. Materials and Methods: Retrospective, descriptive, longitudinal cohort study based on the review of medical records of patients undergoing liver transplantation in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from March 2020 to July 2021 at the clinical hospital of the State University of Campinas. Results:Retrospective analysis was performed on 57 patients in the period. Only 1 patient needed to be excluded because he was under 18 years old. Of the 56 patients, 52 underwent RT-PCR laboratory testing and chest tomography (CT). Of these 52 patients, only 2 tested positive, one pre-transplant (TX) and one post-operatively (post-op). Regarding chest CT scans, none of them showed typical changes for COVID pre-TX, in the post-op 4 patients presented typical chest CT scans. The average age was 55.86 years. The mortality rate was 38% and no deaths were attributed to COVID 19. The average MELD-Na scale was 20.94. Conclusion: The present study carried out at the Hospital de Clínicas da Unicamp analyzed the clinical, laboratory and radiological association to better elucidate the variables determined by COVID-19 in its diagnosis and in-hospital management. It is concluded that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had an impact on the routine of liver transplantation worldwide and on the service in which the study was carried out.

Rural community perceptions and practices toward the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention in Konso Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a lesson for the next pandemic.

Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) has provided a lesson on preparedness and coping mechanisms for similar pandemics to different community segments. To control and prevent the spreading of COVID-19, people need to possess the correct attitude and perception to follow the appropriate practices against the causative agent. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the rural community's perceptions and practices toward COVID-19 prevention among southern Ethiopia's Konso zone rural communities. A community-based cross-sectional study conducted from April to May 2022 on 605 study participants in the Kena district of the Konso zone of Ethiopia. Participants were recruited using simple random sampling techniques. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data using structured questionnaires developed from the World Health Organization guide and related literature. A logistic regression model was used to identify determinants of perception and practice. Among the 564 participants, 296 (52.5%) believed they would go to the healthcare facility if they contracted COVID-19. About 276 (48.9%) perceived that COVID-19 is not a stigma and should not be concealed. About 233 (41.3%) perceived COVID-19 would be controlled. However, the majority, 451 (80%), 440 (78%), 384 (68.1%), 381 (67.6%), 337 (59.8%), and 317 (56.2%) perceived that the cause of COVID-19 is sin, eating some food items were effective against the virus, no cases in their locality, living far away from COVID-19 area, the virus does not exist, respectively. Overall, only 22.5% of the study participants have good perceptions. About 58.5% practiced handwashing to prevent COVID-19, and 45.2% covered their mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing. Among the participants, 39.8% were vaccinated, and about a quarter (24.8%) of the respondents had good prevention practices. Participants with better educational status, use of social media as a source of information, and those with better income levels are found to be protective factors while being married is a risk factor. The status of the participant's perception and preventive practices toward COVID-19 was meager. There was a substantial magnitude of wrong perceptions about controlling such pandemics. High inaccurate perceptions and low preventive practice need an urgent and sustained improvement strategy to tackle similar pandemics or epidemics.

Herbal Substances with Antiviral Effects: Features and Prospects for the Treatment of Viral Diseases with Emphasis on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines.

Viral diseases have a significant impact on human health, and three novel coronaviruses (CoV) have emerged during the 21st century. In this review, we have emphasized the potential of herbal substances with antiviral effects. Our investigation focused on the features and prospects of viral disease treatment, with a particular emphasis on proinflammatory cytokines. We conducted comprehensive searches of various databases, including Science Direct, CABI Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Cytokine storm mechanisms play a crucial role in inducing a pro-inflammatory response by triggering the expression of cytokines and chemokines. This response leads to the recruitment of leukocytes and promotes antiviral effects, forming the first line of defense against viruses. Numerous studies have investigated the use of herbal medicine candidates as immunomodulators or antivirals. However, cytokine-storm-targeted therapy is recommended for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by SARS-CoV to survive severe pulmonary failure. Our reviews have demonstrated that herbal formulations could serve as alternative medicines and significantly reduce complicated viral infections. Furthermore, they hold promising potential as specific antiviral agents in experimental animal models.

Integration Of Open CV LBF Model To Detect Masks In Health Protocol Surveillance Systems

The Corona Viruses Diseases pandemic that was rife in early 2020 and hit many countries caused discipline to be applied to health protocols. The prevention of physical contact between humans gave rise to new traditions in aspects of human life. Almost all public facilities in Indonesia require visitors to wear masks as a means of preventing exposure to viruses in the air. However, this advice is often ignored by some people. In addition to endangering many people, this condition also makes public facility managers need extra resources in the form of time, energy and costs to ensure this health protocol is implemented. The existence of these problems triggers the emergence of innovations to present a system that provides assurance and convenience in ensuring compliance with health protocols for the use of masks through creative and effective methods. This method is done by utilizing CCTV cameras or webcams at the entrance equipped with an Artificial Intelligence program designed to be able to detect the use of masks on visitors to public facilities, and without the need for other sensors. The detection system is built on the concept of facial biometrics and utilizes the OpenCV LBF model to detector landmarks on a person's face. Based on tests conducted through several scenario, it can be said that the open CV LBF model successfully identified the use of masks within 35 seconds, increasing the reading distance to 2 meters making the process longer. In addition, in indoor lighting conditions, the system experienced 1 detection error with a process time of 18 seconds, while for well-light outdoor conditions the system managed to detect all objects within 10 seconds.

Terpenes and cannabidiol against human corona and influenza viruses–Anti-inflammatory and antiviral in vitro evaluation

The activity of the terpenes and Cannabidiol (CBD) against human coronavirus (HCoV) strain OC43 and influenza A (H1N1) was evaluated in human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5 cells). Also, we examined whether these ingredients inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The tested preparations exhibited both anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. The combination of terpenes was effective against both HCoV-OC43 and influenza A (H1N1) virus. The addition of CBD improved the antiviral activity in some, but not all cases. This variation in activity may suggest an antiviral mechanism. In addition, there was a strong correlation between the quantitative results from a cell-viability assay and the cytopathic effect after 72 h, as observed under a microscope. The anti-inflammatory properties of terpenes were demonstrated using a pro-inflammatory cytokine-inhibition assay, which revealed significant cytokine inhibition and enhanced by the addition of CBD.

Potential Antiviral Effect of Korean Forest Wild Mushrooms against Feline Coronavirus (FCoV).

Coronaviruses (CoV) are among the major viruses that cause common cold in humans. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a high-risk human pathogen that derived from bat coronaviruses, although several other animals serve as CoV hosts, contributing to human infection. As the human activity area expanded, viruses previously prevalent only in animals mutated and became threats to humans as well, leading to worldwide epidemics. Therefore, controlling CoV infections in animals is essential to prevent CoV-related human infections. Feline coronavirus (FCoV) could be reportedly used as an alternative model for SARS-CoV-2. Traditionally, mushrooms are not only foods but are also consumed to prevent diseases. Importantly, certain edible and medicinal mushrooms display antibacterial and antiviral effects against respiratory pathogens; therefore, they could be tested as potential coronavirus treatment agents. In this study, we investigated if wild forest mushrooms with various reported physiological activities could exhibit an antiviral activity against CoV, using FCoV as a SARS-CoV-2 model infecting Crandell Rees feline kidney cells. We measured the antiviral activity of 11 wild mushrooms overall and our results demonstrated that Pleurotus ostreatus and Phallus luteus displayed the highest antiviral efficacy of 55.33%, followed by Tricholoma bakamatsutake at 43.77%. Grifola frondosa, Morchella esculenta, and Sarcodon imbricatus exhibited mild efficacy of 29.21%. We also tested Amanita caesareoides, Marasmius siccus, Pachyma hoelen, Phallus rubrovolvata, and Sparassis latifolia but could not detect any antiviral activity in their case. Our study confirms that wild forest mushrooms could be used as potential functional foods or pharmacological materials against coronavirus.