ABSTRACT
Background: The presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) among COVID-19 patients is associated with increased hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Evidence has shown that hyperglycemia potentiates SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection and plays a central role in severe COVID-19 and diabetes comorbidity. In this review, we explore the therapeutic potentials of herbal medications and natural products in the management of COVID-19 and DM comorbidity and the challenges associated with the preexisting or concurrent use of these substances. Methods: Research papers that were published from January 2016 to December 2021 were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. Papers reporting clinical evidence of antidiabetic activities and any available evidence of the anti-COVID-19 potential of ten selected natural products were retrieved and analyzed for discussion in this review. Results: A total of 548 papers (73 clinical trials on the antidiabetic activities of the selected natural products and 475 research and review articles on their anti-COVID-19 potential) were retrieved from the literature search for further analysis. A total of 517 articles (reviews and less relevant research papers) were excluded. A cumulative sum of thirty-one (31) research papers (20 clinical trials and 10 others) met the criteria and have been discussed in this review. Conclusion: The findings of this review suggest that phenolic compounds are the most promising phytochemicals in the management of COVID-19 and DM comorbidity. Curcumin and propolis have shown substantial evidence against COVID-19 and DM in humans and are thus, considered the best potential therapeutic options.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 patients, both infected and recovered are rapidly contracting mucormycetes infections due to the 'Mucorales' order, under Zygomycetes class of fungi. The mucorales fungi commonly known to exist in our natural surroundings including soil, but the frequency of incidences was never rampant. This sudden spike in infections, is locally known as 'black fungus,' and is affecting various organs, including- eyes, sinuses, nose, brain, skin, intestine, lungs, etc. The severity of situation is ascertainable from the fact that, in certain cases surgical eye/jaws removal persists as the only viable option to avert mortality, as therapeutic interventions are limited. This epidemic situation intrigued experts to investigate the probable reason behind this unpredicted escalation in reported cases, including in recuperated COVID-19 patients, as person-to-person spread of infection is not common. The comparison of physiological parameters in healthy and COVID-19 afflicted patients highlights that the underlying conditions including diabetes mellitus, steroidal therapy, lymphopenia (decreased CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes), deregulated cytokine release storm, elevated free iron levels (hemosiderosis) in blood and insulin insensitivity are playing major roles in deteriorating conditions in rarely pathogenic fungal infections. This review is an attempt to explain the rationalities that makes people vulnerable to mucormycetes infection.