Current perspectives on the anti-inflammatory potential of fermented soy foods.

Fermented soy foods (FSF) are gaining significant attention due to promising health benefits. In recent years, FSF are being studied extensively due to the presence of diverse functional ingredients including active isoflavones and peptides along with essential micronutrients. The process of fermentation is responsible for the enrichment of various bioactive principles in soy-based fermented foods and exclusion of some anti-nutrient factors which are found predominantly in raw soybeans. Emerging evidence suggests that FSF possess immense therapeutic potential against inflammation and associated pathological complications. Extracts prepared from various FSF (e.g. fermented soy paste, milk, and sauce) were found to exert promising anti-inflammatory effects in numerous in vitro and in vivo settings. Moreover, clinical findings highlighted an inverse relationship between consumption of FSF and the prevalence of chronic inflammatory disorders among the communities which habitually consume fermented soy products. Molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory role of FSF have been delineated in many literatures which collectively suggest that FSF extracts have regulatory actions over the expression and/or activity of several proinflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress markers, and some other factors involved in the inflammatory pathways. The present review discusses the anti-inflammatory effects of FSF with mechanistic insights based upon the available findings from cell culture, preclinical, and clinical investigations.

Is diabetes mellitus a wrongdoer to COVID-19 severity?

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has turned out to be a pandemic in short period of time due to the high transmissibility of its causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Various reports have suggested the promising link between overexpression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and COVID-19 pathogenesis. The severity of COVID-19 pathophysiology is greatly depended on several comorbidities, like hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), respiratory and cardiovascular disease, out of which DM has emerged as a major risk factor. The current review focuses on the link among the expression of ACE2, use of ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs), and risk of COVID-19 pathogenesis in DM. The review also emphasizes on synergistic detrimental effect of DM and COVID-19 on the immune system in provoking uncontrolled cytokine storm which eventually leads to lethal consequences. Finally, several possible therapeutic strategies have been highlighted to reduce the excess of risk associated with COVID-19 in people with DM.