The therapeutic potential of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril to ameliorate muscle atrophy in a murine model.

Muscle atrophy due to limb immobilization and inactivity is a common consequence of many diseases and treatment processes. One of the systems activated in inflammatory conditions is the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of one of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, enalapril, on improving muscle atrophy caused by immobility. The study was conducted in three groups: a control, an atrophy, and an atrophy group treated with enalapril on Balb/c mice. After tying a splint to cause atrophy in one of the legs, daily treatment with enalapril intraperitoneally (dissolved in DMSO) at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day was done for 7 days. On the eighth day, the splint was opened and half of the mice were evaluated. Then, in the recovery phase, treatment with enalapril was continued in the remaining mice for 10 days without a splint. At the end of each phase, the mice were examined for the muscle strength of the lower limb muscles, and histological and biochemical analyses were subsequently carried out. The tissue level of the oxidative stress index MDA was evaluated, which showed a significantly lower level in the enalapril group compared to the atrophy group (*P<0.1). Also, inflammatory factors in the enalapril group showed a decrease compared to the atrophy group. The strength of four limbs in the mice of the treatment group (-18.36 ± 1.70 %) was significantly higher than that of the atrophy group (-30.33 ± 3 %) at the end of the atrophy phase and also after 10 days of recovery. The results suggest that the use of enalapril that reduces the activation of angiotensin II-dependent pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory pathways may improve the functional disorder and muscle necrosis in the murine model of muscle atrophy.

The preventive effects of Saccharomyces boulardii against oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide in rat brain.

The brain is sensitive to oxidative stress, which can trigger microglial activation and neuroinflammation. Antioxidant therapies may provide neuroprotection against oxidative stress. In recent years antioxidant effects of probiotics and their possible mechanisms in oxidative stress-related models have been determined. In the current study, for the first time, we assessed the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on oxidative stress provoked by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the rat brain. Four groups of animals were used, including the control, LPS, S. boulardii + LPS, and S. boulardii groups. All animals received either saline or S. boulardii (1010 CFU) by gavage for four weeks. Between days 14 and 22, all animals received either LPS (250 µg/kg) or saline by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. S. boulardii was able to inhibit lipid peroxidation and prevent the reduction of antioxidant levels, including glutathione and catalase in the model of oxidative stress induced by LPS in the rat hippocampus and cortex. Also, it increased the lowered ratio of glutathione/oxidized glutathione in both tissues. Serum levels of anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 (IL-10) and proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 increased and decreased, respectively. S. boulardii has potential antioxidant activities in oxidative stress-related model, possibly modulating gut microbiota, immune defense, and antioxidant enzyme activities that can be considered in preventing oxidative stress-related central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

Sub-acute administration of metal-organic Framework-5 induces behavioral impairments and augments the levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain of rats.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are known as potential pharmaceutical carriers because of their structure. Here, we evaluated the sub-acute administrations of MOF-5 on behavioral parameters, oxidative stress, and inflammation levels in rats. Thirty-two male Wistar rats received four injections of saline or MOF-5 at different doses which were 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg via caudal vein. Y-Maze and Morris-Water Maze (MWM) tests were used to explore working memory and spatial learning and memory, respectively. The antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress level of brain samples were assessed by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and thiobarbituric acid-reacting substance (TBARS) assay, respectively. The expression levels of GFAP, IL-1ß, and TNF-α were also measured by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Sub-acute administration of MOF-5 reduced the spatial learning and memory as well as working memory, dose-dependently. The levels of FRAP were significantly reduced in rats treated with MOF-5 at higher doses. The Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased at the dose of 50 mg/kg. Additionally, the expression levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α were significantly elevated in the rats' brains that were treated with MOF-5. Our findings indicate that sub-acute administration of MOF-5 induces cognitive impairment dose-dependently which might be partly mediated by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Can nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) be repurposed for fungal infection?

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are an important class of anti-inflammatory drugs widely used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, mild-to-moderate pain, and fever. This review aimed to explain the functional role and possible mechanisms of the antifungal effects of NSAIDs alone or in combination with antifungal drugs in vitro and in vivo. Several studies reported that NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, indomethacin, ketorolac, celecoxib, flurbiprofen, and nimesulide had antifungal activities in vitro, either fungistatic or fungicidal, against different strains of Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Microsporum, and Trichophyton species. These drugs inhibited biofilm adhesion and development, and yeast-to-hypha conversion which may be related to a prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)/PGEx-dependent mechanism. Modulating PGE2 levels by NSAIDs during fungal infection can be introduced as a possible mechanism to overcome. In addition, some important mechanisms of the antifungal activities of NSAIDs and their new derivatives on fungi and host immune responses are summarized. Overall, we believe that using NSAIDs along with classical antifungal drugs has the potential to be investigated as a novel therapeutic strategy in clinical studies. Furthermore, combination therapy can help manage resistant strains, increase the efficacy of antifungal drugs, and reduce toxicity.

Evaluation of the association between inflammatory markers and the prognosis of Covid-19.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) triggers the immune system and causes changes in the serum level of inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, ferritin, interleukin-6, LDH, D-dimer, and procalcitonin (PCT); in this study, we investigate the association between the serum level of inflammatory markers and the prognosis of COVID-19, which included mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, Babol, from March 2020 to March 2021. Demographic indicators and inflammatory markers were recorded in the questionnaire and were investigated based on disease outcome, length of hospitalization, need for non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and need for hospitalization in the ICU and ventilator. Patients who died or were discharged within the first 24 hours of hospitalization (before the test) were excluded from the study. Finally, the data were recorded in SPSS Statistics 26.0 and then analyzed. Results: The average age of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the hospital was 57.92 ± 16.18. The prevalence of death due to coronavirus disease in hospitalized patients was 8.5%. Besides, 23.5% of patients were hospitalized in the ICU and 28.5% required NIV. Based on the disease's outcome, a significant difference was found in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), so the NLR was significantly higher in patients who died due to coronavirus. Moreover, the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), D-dimer, LDH, and PCT in deceased individuals were considerably higher compared to those who recovered. Conclusion: NLR, ESR, D-dimer level, LDH, and PCT are among the markers that affect COVID-19 patient outcomes. The increment of any of these markers will lead to an increase in the risk of death and also the need for ICU admission.

Targeting transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) using Pirfenidone, a potential repurposing therapeutic strategy in colorectal cancer.

The modulating factors within the tumor microenvironment, for example, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), may limit the response to chemo and immunotherapy protocols in colorectal cancer (CRC). In the current study, the therapeutic potential of targeting the TGF-ß pathway using Pirfenidone (PFD), a TGF-ß inhibitor, either alone or in combination with five fluorouracil (5-FU) has been explored in preclinical models of CRC. The anti-proliferative and migratory effects of PFD were assessed by MTT and wound-healing assays respectively. Xenograft models were used to study the anti-tumor activity, histopathological, and side effects analysis. Targeting of TGF-ß resulted in suppression of cell proliferation and migration, associated with modulation of survivin and MMP9/E-cadherin. Moreover, the PFD inhibited TGF-ß induced tumor progression, fibrosis, and inflammatory response through perturbation of collagen and E-cadherin. Targeting the TGF-ß pathway using PFD may increase the anti-tumor effects of 5-FU and reduce tumor development, providing a new therapeutic approach to CRC treatment.

Sexual dysfunction among patients with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). In the current study, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the role of PD as a potential risk factor for SD in both genders. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. All observational studies comparing the prevalence of SD in PD with the general population were included. RESULTS: After screening 22 studies were included in our qualitative and statistical analysis. We included 13 studies that reported odds ratio (OR) and found a significant association between PD and SD (pooled OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 2.19-5.58). Five studies included only male patients and reported an OR of 3.34 (95% CI = 1.34-8.35; heterogeneity I2 = 81%, Tau2 = 0.79, p < 0.00), while seven studies included both sexes and reported an OR of 3.55 (95% CI = 1.89-6.66; heterogeneity I2 = 78%, Tau2 = 0.53, p < 0.00). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study suggests a strong association between PD and SD in both men and women. Our analysis of 22 observational studies reveals that the prevalence of sexual dysfunction is significantly higher in patients with PD compared to the general population. These findings highlight the importance of addressing SD as part of the comprehensive management of patients with PD.

NMDA Receptors in the Rat Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus Reduce the Naloxone-induced Morphine Withdrawal.

BACKGROUND: NMDA receptors have a significant role in the development of opioid physical dependence. Evidence demonstrated that a drug of abuse enhances neuronal excitability in the Paraventricular Nucleus (PVT). The current research studied whether blocking NMDA receptors through the administration of MK801 in the PVT nucleus could affect the development of Morphine (Mor) dependence and hence the behavioral indices induced by morphine withdrawal in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were used. For induction of drug dependence, we injected Mor subcutaneously (s.c.) (6, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, and 66 mg/kg, 2 ml/kg) at an interval of 24 hours for 7 days. Animals were divided into two groups in which the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK801 (20 mM in 0.1 ml), or its vehicle were applied into the PVT nucleus for 7 days before each Mor administration. On day 8, after injection of naloxone (Nal, 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), withdrawal behaviors were checked for 25 min. RESULTS: The current results demonstrated that the blockade of the NMDA receptor in the PVT nucleus significantly increased withdrawal behaviors provoked by the application of Nal in morphinedependent (Mor-d) rats. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the NMDA receptor in the PVT nucleus changes the development of Mor dependence.

Therapeutic Potential of Targeting the Cytochrome P450 Enzymes Using Lopinavir/Ritonavir in Colorectal Cancer: A Study in Monolayers, Spheroids and In Vivo Models.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme has been shown to be expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its dysregulation is linked to tumor progression and a poor prognosis. Here we investigated the therapeutic potential of targeting CYP450 using lopinavir/ritonavir in CRC. The integrative systems biology method and RNAseq were utilized to investigate the differential levels of genes associated with patients with colorectal cancer. The antiproliferative activity of lopinavir/ritonavir was evaluated in both monolayer and 3-dimensional (3D) models, followed by wound-healing assays. The effectiveness of targeting CYP450 was examined in a mouse model, followed by histopathological analysis, biochemical tests (MDA, SOD, thiol, and CAT), and RT-PCR. The data of dysregulation expressed genes (DEG) revealed 1268 upregulated and 1074 down-regulated genes in CRC. Among the top-score genes and dysregulated pathways, CYPs were detected and associated with poor prognosis of patients with CRC. Inhibition of CYP450 reduced cell proliferation via modulating survivin, Chop, CYP13a, and induction of cell death, as detected by AnnexinV/PI staining. This agent suppressed the migratory behaviors of cells by induction of E-cadherin. Moreover, lopinavir/ritonavir suppressed tumor growth and fibrosis, which correlated with a reduction in SOD/thiol levels and increased MDA levels. Our findings illustrated the therapeutic potential of targeting the CYP450 using lopinavir/ritonavir in colorectal cancer, supporting future investigations on this novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of CRC.

Short chain fatty acids, a possible treatment option for autoimmune diseases.

Gut microbiota can interact with the immune system through its metabolites. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as one of the most abundant metabolites of the resident gut microbiota play an important role in this crosstalk. SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) regulate nearly every type of immune cell in the gut's immune cell repertoire regarding their development and function. SCFAs work through several pathways to impose protection towards colonic health and against local or systemic inflammation. Additionally, SCFAs play a role in the regulation of immune or non-immune pathways that can slow the development of autoimmunity either systematically or in situ. The present study aims to summarize the current knowledge on the immunomodulatory roles of SCFAs and the association between the SCFAs and autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease (CD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other immune-mediated diseases, uncovering a brand-new therapeutic possibility to prevent or treat autoimmunity.

Two-dimensional-Ti3C2 magnetic nanocomposite for targeted cancer chemotherapy.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women, so novel therapeutic approaches are needed to improve the effectiveness of current therapies or extend their activity. In recent decades, graphene analogs, such as Mxene, an emerging class of two-dimensional (2D) graphene analogs, have been drawing considerable attention based on their intrinsic physicochemical properties and performance as potential candidates for tumor therapy, particularly for therapeutic purposes. Here we explored the targeted drug delivery in cervical cancer in in vivo model. Mxene-based nanocarriers are not able to be precisely controlled in cancer treatment. Method: To solve this problem, the titanium carbide-magnetic core-shell nanocarrier (Ti3C2-Fe3O4@SiO2-FA) is also developed to provide synergetic anticancer with magnetic controlling ability along with pH-responsive drug release. A xenograft model of the cervix was used to investigate the effects of Cisplatin alone, or in combination with Ti3C2@FA and Ti3C2@ Fe3O4@SiO2-FA, on tumor growth following histological staining for evaluation of necrosis. Result and Discussion: A significant tumor-growth suppression effect is shown when the Ti3C2-Fe3O4@SiO2-FA nanocarrier is magnetically controlled Cisplatin drug release. It reveals a synergistic therapeutic efficacy used in conjunction with pharmaceuticals (p < .001). According to the in vivo study, the Ti3C2@FA@Cisplatin nanocomposite exhibits less tumor growth than the drug alone or Ti3C2@FA@Cisplatin via increasing necrosis effect (p < .001). Through this study, Mxene nanosheets are expanded for biomedical applications, not only through the fabrication of biocompatible magnetic Mxene nanocomposite but also through the development of functionalization strategies that enable the magnetic Ti3C2 nanocomposite to load high levels of Cisplatin for cervical cancer treatment (242.5%). Hence, Ti3C2-Fe3O4@SiO2-FA nanocarriers would be promising candidates to improve cancer treatment efficiency.

Preventive Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii on Memory Impairment Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Rats.

Recent studies have indicated that dysfunction of gut microbiota, living microorganisms of the digestive tract, plays a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, indicating the valuable impact of probiotics as a potential preventive or therapeutic strategy. Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast probiotic with beneficial effects on various disorders, ranging from inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases to brain and behavioral disorders. Herein, we examined the effect of S. boulardii on memory impairment induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Wistar rats. Four groups of rats were used in this study (N = 10): (1) control [Cnt], (2) LPS, (3) LPS + S. boulardii [LPS + S], and (4) S. boulardii [S]. Animals were orally administered S. boulardii (250 mg/rat) or saline by gavage for 4 weeks. From the 14th day of the study, animals were administered intraperitoneal LPS (0.25 mg/kg/day) or saline for 9 days. We assessed memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-ß deposition. S. boulardii ameliorated LPS-induced memory dysfunction. We observed that S. boulardii significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, as well as hippocampal levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the LPS model. Moreover, S. boulardii alleviated amyloid-ß deposition in the rat hippocampus. Collectively, our findings indicated that S. boulardii could inhibit memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-ß accumulation induced by LPS, possibly by modifying the gut microbiota.

Interaction of Medicinal Plants and Their Active Constituents With Potassium Ion Channels: A Systematic Review.

Potassium ion (K+) channels are pore-forming transmembrane proteins that control the transport of K+ ions. Medicinal plants are widely used as complementary therapies for several disorders. Studies have shown that the modulation of K+ channels is most likely involved in various pharmacological effects of medicinal plants. This review aimed to evaluate the modulatory effects of medicinal plants and their active constituents on K+ channels under pathological conditions. This systematic review was prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline. Four databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, embase, and Scopus, were searched. We identified 687 studies from these databases, from which we selected 13 in vivo studies for the review by using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Study (PICOS) tool. The results of the 13 selected studies showed a modulatory effect of medicinal plants or their active constituents on ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP), and small (SKCa) and large (BKCa) conductance calcium-activated K+ channels in several pathological conditions such as nociception, brain ischemia, seizure, diabetes, gastric ulcer, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, and hypertension via possible involvement of the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway and protein kinase. K+ channels should be considered as significant therapeutic milestones in the treatment of several diseases. We believe that understanding the mechanism behind the interaction of medicinal plants with K+ channels can facilitate drug development for the treatment of various K+ channel-related disorders.

Saccharomyces boulardii attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced anxiety-like behaviors in rats.

Anxiety is the brain's response to dangerous or stressful situations. Exposure to stressors can cause gut microbiota dysbiosis and activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to the secretion of glucocorticoids associated with anxiety. Recent studies have reported that probiotics can attenuate anxiety-like behaviors by modulation of the gut microbiome composition. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) administration on anxiety-like behaviors induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. The animals were randomly divided into four groups (Control, LPS, Sb + LPS, and Sb). All animals were orally treated with saline or S. boulardii (1010 CFU/ml/rat) for 28 days. They were also injected with saline or LPS (250 µg/kg/day) intraperitoneally from day 14 until day 22. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using the elevated plus-maze and open-field tests. Besides, the serum levels of cortisol, corticosterone, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured. The results revealed that S. boulardii could attenuate LPS-induced anxiety-like behaviors. The findings also showed that oral administration of S. boulardii significantly attenuated the elevated levels of cortisol and corticosterone in the LPS-induced model. Moreover, S. boulardii alleviated the decremental effect of LPS on the serum serotonin and BDNF levels. According to the present findings, S. boulardii can prevent LPS-induced anxiety-like behaviors, probably through modulation of the HPA axis and the gut microbiome.

Impact of ZnO and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoscale on the methyl violet 2B removal efficiency of the activated carbon oak wood.

In the current study, activated carbon oak wood (ACOW600) and modified activated carbon using ZnO (ACOW600/ZnO) and Fe3O4 (ACOW600/ZnO/Fe3O4) nanoparticles were used to remove methyl violet 2B dye (MV2B) from aqueous solutions. ACOW was synthesized at different temperatures (300-700 °C), and then the maximum MV2B removal efficiency (92.76 %) was achieved using ACOW synthesized at 600 °C. The morphology and characteristics of ACOW600, ACOW600/ZnO, and ACOW600/ZnO/Fe3O4 were studied using surface analyzes. According to the results, the adsorbents indicated a high ability to absorb MV2B from liquid solution, and their kinetic behavior follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic. In addition, the equilibrium study revealed that the MV2B uptake by the ACOW600/ZnO/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite followed the Freundlich model. In contrast, the Langmuir model described the MV2B adsorption process using ACOW600 and ACOW600/ZnO. The maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of MV2B using ACOW600, ACOW600/ZnO, and ACOW600/ZnO/Fe3O4 was determined 26.16 mg g-1, 37.05 mg g-1, and 48.59 mg g-1, respectively, indicating that modification of ACOW600 led to improve its performance in removing MV2B. The enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔG), and Gibbs free energy (ΔS) parameters revealed that the decontamination of MV2B using the studied adsorbents was exothermic and spontaneous. Also, random interactions of MV2B molecules and adsorbent surfaces were reduced during the adsorption process. Textile wastewater was significantly treated by ACOW600, ACOW600/ZnO, and ACOW600/ZnO/Fe3O4 adsorbents. The recycling of the adsorbents was demonstrated that the investigated adsorbents could be re-utilized many times in the MV2B removal process.

Optimal Diagnosis of COVID-19 Based on Convolutional Neural Network and Red Fox Optimization Algorithm.

SARS-CoV-2 is a specific type of Coronavirus that was firstly reported in China in December 2019 and is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In March 2020, this disease spread to different parts of the world causing a global pandemic. Although this disease is still increasing exponentially day by day, early diagnosis of this disease is very important to reduce the death rate and to reduce the prevalence of this pandemic. Since there are sometimes human errors by physicians in the diagnosis of this disease, using computer-aided diagnostic systems can be helpful to get more accurate results. In this paper, chest X-ray images have been examined using a new pipeline machine vision-based system to provide more accurate results. In the proposed method, after preprocessing the input X-ray images, the region of interest has been segmented. Then, a combined gray-level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) features have been extracted from the processed images. Finally, an improved version of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based on the Red Fox Optimization algorithm is employed for the classification of the images based on the features. The proposed method is validated by performing to three datasets and its results are compared with some state-of-the-art methods. The final results show that the suggested method has proper efficiency toward the others for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Review of registered clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but now more than 200 countries have been affected and the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing. The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from mild to severe. FDA approved remdesivir as a treatment of COVID-19 so far. Various clinical trials are underway to find an effective method to treat patients with COVID-19. This review aimed at summarizing 219 registered clinical trials in the ClinicalTrials.gov database with possible mechanisms, and novel findings of them, and other recent publications related to COVID-19. According to our analyses, various treatment approaches and drugs are being investigated to find an effective drug to cure COVID-19 and among all strategies, three important mechanisms are suggested to be important against COVID-19 including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Our review can help future studies get on the way to finding an effective drug for COVID-19 treatment by providing ideas for similar researches.

Curcumin (a constituent of turmeric): New treatment option against COVID-19.

In late December 2019, the outbreak of respiratory illness emerged in Wuhan, China, and spreads worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) named this disease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused by a new member of beta coronaviruses. Several medications are prescribed to patients, and some clinical trials are underway. Scientists are trying to find a specific drug against this virus. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis, clinical features, and current treatments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Then, we describe the possible therapeutic effects of curcumin and its molecular mechanism against coronavirus-19. Curcumin, as an active constituent of Curcuma longa (turmeric), has been studied in several experimental and clinical trial studies. Curcumin has some useful clinical effects such as antiviral, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and antifatigue effects that could be effective to manage the symptoms of the infected patient with COVID-19. It has several molecular mechanisms including antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and antifibrotic properties with inhibitory effects on Toll-like receptors, NF-κB, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and bradykinin. Scientific evidence suggests that curcumin could have a potential role to treat COVID-19. Thus, the use of curcumin in the clinical trial, as a new treatment option, should be considered.

Inside Cover Image, Volume 8, Issue 10.

The cover image is based on the Review Curcumin (a constituent of turmeric): New treatment option against COVID-19 by Fatemeh Babaei et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1858.