Micronutrients and bioactive substances: Their potential roles in combating COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is seriously threatening public health and setting off huge economic crises across the world. In the absence of specific drugs for COVID-19, there is an urgent need to look for alternative approaches. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to review the roles of micronutrients and bioactive substances as potential alternative approaches in combating COVID-19. METHODS: This review was based on the literature identified using electronic searches in different databases. RESULTS: Vitamins (A, B, C, D, and E), minerals (selenium and zinc), and bioactive substances from curcumin, echinacea, propolis, garlic, soybean, green tea, and other polyphenols were identified as having potential roles in interfering with spike glycoproteins, angiotensin converting enzyme 2, and transmembrane protease serine 2 at the entry site, and inhibiting activities of papain-like protease, 3 chymotrypsin-like protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in the replication cycle of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Having immunomodulating, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties, such micronutrients and bioactive substances are consequently promising alterative nutritional approaches to combat COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The roles of micronutrients and bioactive substances in the fight against COVID-19 are exciting areas of research. This review may suggest directions for further study.

Impact of the natural resource of UVB on the content of vitamin D2 in oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) under subtropical settings.

Vitamin D deficiency is a pandemic problem. Non-animal source of vitamin D is obtained from edible mushrooms. Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) was sliced into the size of 1 cm3, 4 cm3 and 9 cm3, and treated with the sun as a natural resource of UVB under subtropical settings in Ethiopia. The content of vitamin D was measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After sun treatment, there was a significant increment in the content of vitamin D2 from nil to 67.4 ±â€¯28.0 µg/g dry weight (DW). Based on the results of the overall pairwise comparisons, 1 cm3 size of slice group had the highest content of vitamin D2. Duration of sun exposure, sizes of mushroom slices and moisture content were identified as determining factors for vitamin D2 synthesis. Exposing slices of oyster mushroom to the sunlight for <30 min provides the amount that satisfies the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D without any visible change in color and texture. Thus, sun treatment of oyster mushroom is an effective and economically cheap strategy in the fight against vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies among tuberculosis patients in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The link between tuberculosis (TB) and malnutrition has long been recognized. Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies may reduce the host defenses and increase the risk for diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to estimate the difference in vitamin A and zinc deficiencies together with dietary intakes among pulmonary TB patients and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study design was employed to undertake this study in North Shewa, Ethiopia. Sputum smear examination, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to analyse acid fast bacilli (AFB), vitamin A, zinc, and C-reactive protein (CRP), respectively. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-h recall questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chi-square, odds ratio (OR), Spearman correlation, and multinomial logistic regression model were computed for data analyses. RESULTS: In this study, 62 TB cases and 59 controls were included. The proportions of vitamin A deficiency among TB cases and controls were 56.4% and 39.0%, respectively. All TB cases and 92.5% controls were zinc deficient. The odds of TB cases with deficiencies of vitamin A and zinc was 2.3 (95% CI: 1.1 to 4.8)times more likely as compared to the controls. More than 80% of all participants had below average fulfilment of energy and vitamin A intakes. CONCLUSION: Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are severe problems among TB patients. Moreover, undernutrition determines the development of TB. Therefore, the management programs of TB need to address the problems of vitamin A and zinc deficiencies together with protein-energy malnutrition.

Vitamin D deficiencies among tuberculosis patients in Africa: A systematic review.

The aim of this study was to explore the existence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in tuberculosis (TB) patients living in Africa and to identify its predictor variables. PRISMA guidelines and checklists were used. The sources of the data were Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. We identified 23 articles, of which 15 reported the status of vitamin D in TB with TB. The definition of serum vitamin D status was summarized as severe, deficient, and insufficient when the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH)-D ≤25, ≤50, and ≤75 nmol/L, respectively. The reports showed that up to 88.9% and 96.3% of patients with TB tested by radioimmunoassay had VDD and vitamin D insufficiency, respectively. Statistically significant variables such as lack of sun exposure, inadequate dietary intake, season, clothing, comorbidities, low body mass index, age, skin pigmentation, use of antiretroviral therapy and anti-TB drugs, and socioeconomic status were identified as the main predictor variables of vitamin D status. VDD and vitamin D insufficiency were highly prevalent in TB patients in Africa. Further case-control studies are warranted to clarify the cause-effect relationship between vitamin D and TB and thereby, design valuable strategies to manage VDD among TB patients in Africa.