ABSTRACT
Though the scientific community of the entire world has been struggling to create preventive and therapeutic drugs for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the role of nutraceuticals has been hitherto neglected. Established role of fatty acids and polyphenols in combating lifestyle disease can be harnessed to play a significant role in the prevention of this disease. The synergistic effect of these phytonutrients and prebiotics is anticipated to prove beneficial for prevention as well as attenuation of COVID-19 infection. Presence of fatty acids, polyphenols and prebiotics in vegetables from the Cucurbitaceae family makes them an attractive choice for being used as a nutritional supplement during COVID-19. These are known to attenuate the excessive immune response which may prove to be beneficial in preventing and mitigating COVID-19. Use of prebiotics to promote the growth of probiotics has also been recommended for the prevention and cure of COVID-19. However, no such report exists in literature that throws light on such role of cucurbita plants. The present review focuses on the role of the triad of fatty acids, prebiotics and polyphenols present in cucurbita plants in controlling systemic inflammation and endothelial damage, the two main etiopathological factors involved in COVID-19. Cucurbita plants are rich in all these components and their inclusion in diet would be an effective strategy to combat COVID-19. The main focus of the review is to discuss the role of various components of the plants of Cucurbita family, taken as dietary component, in prevention and control of the ongoing pandemic COVID19.