A review of the possible effects of curcumin in the treatment of COVID-19

ABSTRACT

COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-Cov-2, begins with early symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, myalgia, and fatigue, affecting the lungs with pneumonia and causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Also, the onset of the disease may with rapid progression, lead to organ dysfunction, such as acute kidney or liver damage, and even death in severe cases. Many scientific efforts are underway around the world to identify the appropriate treatment for this disease. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound, which could be a potential treatment option for patients with Covid-19. In this study, we review some of the possible effects of curcumin, such as inhibiting virus entry into the cell, inhibiting virus replication and viral protease, as well as modulating some intracellular messenger pathways. To comprehensive literature review, information from an internet search of English language databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect as well as Persian language databases such as SID using related keywords based on MESH such as COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, Curcumin and curcuminoid between January 2020 and January 2021 were collected. This review provides some possible effects of curcumin and its mechanisms for the treatment of COVID-19.