Would carvacrol be a supporting treatment option effective in minimizing the deleterious effects of COVID-19?

The pathophysiological process of the disease, Covid-19, is mediated by innate immunity, with the presence of macrophages responsible for secreting type 1 and 6 interleukins (IL), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) leading to dilation of endothelial cells with a consequent increase in capillary permeability. The treatment of this disease has been much discussed, but the variability in the clinical picture, the difficulties for diagnosis and treatment, especially of those patients who have the most severe clinical condition of the disease. Immunization is an effective tool for controlling the spread and overload of health services, but its effectiveness involves high investments in the acquisition of inputs, development of vaccines, and logistics of storage and distribution. These factors can be obstacles for countries with lower economic, technological, and infrastructure indexes. Reflecting on these difficulties, we raised the possibility of adjuvant therapies with imminent research feasibility, as is the case with the use of carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol whose has biological properties that serve as a barrier to processes mediated by free radicals, such as irritation and inflammation, due to its antioxidant action. Many authors highlighted the activity of carvacrol as a potent suppressor of COX-2 expression minimizing the acute inflammatory process, decreasing the release of some pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-1ß, TNF-α, PGE2. Anyway, the benefits of carvacrol are numerous and the therapeutic possibilities too. With this description, the question arises: would carvacrol be a supporting treatment option, effective in minimizing the deleterious effects of Covid-19? There is still a lot to discover and research.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of carvacrol in the respiratory system: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Carvacrol is a monoterpene present in the essential oil of a number of plants and has been widely used in traditional medicine because it is considered to have a range of therapeutic effects including in relation to respiratory disease. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of carvacrol when used in the treatment of respiratory disorders. A comprehensive literature search using Scopus, MEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science was undertaken. Papers related to the anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties of carvacrol in the treatment of an injury in the respiratory system in in vivo studies and published in the period up to and including August 2019. A total of 152 studies were initially identified, with only 17 meeting the inclusion criteria. Five of the studies were performed in humans, and 12 were performed in rodents. Among the 17 studies included in the systematic review, we performed the meta-analysis with nine of the studies with animals. Carvacrol had a positive effect on the reduction of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-4, IL-8 and malondialdehyde (MDA); however, the analysis indicated that carvacrol had no effect on IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), probably due to the methodological quality of the studies and their heterogeneity. Current evidence supports the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of carvacrol, but its relationship with the reduction of some inflammatory mediators in animals with lung injury needs further elucidation.

Avaliação do limiar anaeróbio pela variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em diabéticos tipo 2 / Evaluation of anaerobic threshold by heart rate variability in type 2 diabetics

A diabetes é um problema de saúde pública devido a sua alta prevalência, morbidade e mortalidade. O tipo 2 é mais prevalente e representa de 90 a 95% dos casos, sendo as complicações mais comuns o acúmulo de gordura no músculo esquelético e a resistência à insulina. O exercício físico regular contribui para regulação da glicemia, destacando-se o limiar anaeróbio como importante marcador para prescrição de exercícios físicos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o limiar anaeróbio de indivíduos com diabetes tipo 2 através da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo de caráter transversal, recrutou 18 participantes de ambos os sexos em uma unidade básica de saúde do município de Lagarto-SE, esse foram divididos em 2 grupos de 9 indivíduos. Na análise estatística utilizou-se o teste de Shapiro-Wilk para avaliação da normalidade e posteriormente Anova com pós teste de Tukey para comparação dos grupos. O grupo 1 composto de indivíduos diabéticos tipo 2 e o grupo 2 de indivíduos saudáveis. Também foi avaliada a média da frequência cardíaca em repouso e após o teste de esforço progressivo. RESULTADOS: As características de idade foram homogêneas sendo o grupo 1 com média de 62,1 (±13,9) anos e grupo 2 de 62,0 (±7,0) anos. A média da frequência de repouso foi de 79,8 bpm do grupo diabéticos e 78 bpm do grupo comparação, no limiar anaeróbio foi de 111,5 no grupo 1 e 119 no grupo 2. O tempo para atingir o L.A foi similar entre os grupos, 9,5 min no grupo experimental e 8 min no grupo comparação. CONCLUSÃO: Os valores do limiar anaeróbio de ambos os grupos foram considerados de baixo condicionamento físico, estes não apresentaram diferença estatística.

Diabetes is a public health problem due to its high prevalence, morbidity and mortality. Type 2 is more prevalent and accounts for 90 to 95% of cases, with the most common complications being the accumulation of fat in skeletal muscle and insulin resistance. Regular physical exercise contributes to glycemic regulation, highlighting the anaerobic threshold as an important marker for prescribing physical exercises. OBJECTIVE: To assess the anaerobic threshold of individuals with type 2 diabetes through heart rate variability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study, recruited 18 participants of both sexes in a basic health unit in the municipality of Lagarto-SE, which were divided into 2 groups of 9 individuals. In the statistical analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality and subsequently Anova with Tukey's post-test to compare the groups. Group 1 consisted of type 2 diabetic individuals and group 2 of healthy individuals. The mean heart rate at rest and after the progressive exercise test was also evaluated. RESULTS: Age characteristics were homogeneous, with group 1 averaging 62.1 years (± 13.9) and group 2 62.0 years (± 7.0). The mean resting frequency was 79.8 bpm in the diabetic group and 78 bpm in the comparison group, at the anaerobic threshold it was 111.5 in group 1 and 119 in group 2. The time to reach the LA was similar between groups , 9.5 min in the experimental group and 8 min in the comparison group. CONCLUSION: The values of the anaerobic threshold of both groups were considered of low physical conditioning, these did not present statistical difference.

Evaluation instruments for physical therapy using virtual reality in stroke patients: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Physiotherapeutic rehabilitation is essential to improve functional mobility, muscular strength, balance and quality of life of stroke patients, but conventional techniques using repeated physical activities can soon become monotonous. The use of virtual reality (VR) in rehabilitation offers a possible alternative to the traditional methods of promoting improvements in muscle strength and balance. However, there is not yet consensus about which instruments should be used to assess the effectiveness of VR in stroke rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review to identify the types of evaluation tools used for different VR interventions to rehabilitate stroke patients, considering balance, strength, function, quality of life, cognition and motivation. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive literature search using MEDLINE-PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs and IEEE Xplore was undertaken. STUDY SELECTION: Studies on stroke patients who had undergone VR therapy and an assessment of its effectiveness using evaluative instruments. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Data were extracted by a single reviewer using standardised forms, and were checked by a second reviewer. The extracted information included study design, number of participants, type of stroke, items that were evaluated (balance, muscle strength, functional evaluation), console used, number of rehabilitation sessions, results and conclusions. RESULTS: In total, 1836 articles were identified; of these, 29 were included in this review after consideration of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected articles rated one or more of the following factors: balance (n=12), grip strength (with or without devices for direct measurement) (n=8), functionality (n=12) and quality of life (n=12). LIMITATIONS: The full text of one article was not available, despite a request to the authors to send it via email. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: The Berg Balance Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and the Stroke Impact Scale were the instruments used most frequently to assess balance, function and quality of life, respectively, in stroke patients who underwent rehabilitation using VR. Systematic review registration PROSPERO number: 87546.

Pharmacological Effects of Carvacrol in In vitro Studies: A Review.

Carvacrol has a high therapeutic potential, with in vitro studies showing promising results in different cellular models using a variety of methodological designs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to analyze the pharmacological effects of carvacrol in in vitro studies. A comprehensive search of the literature was made using four databases: Science Direct, Scopus, MEDLINE-PubMed, and Web of Science using different combinations of the following keywords: carvacrol, drug therapy, therapeutic uses, in vitro study. The search of the databases was for studies conducted in the period up to and including September 2016. A total of 3,269 studies were initially identified, with only 31 meeting the inclusion criteria. The included studies contained a variety of in vitro models able to determine the properties of Carvacrol. The following properties of Carvacrol were identified: antimicrobial (7 studies), bactericidal (4), bactericidal and antifungal (1), antiinflammatory (4), anticancer (4), mutagenic (4), antioxidant (3), antifungal (3), antidepressant (1), as a modulator of nerve impulses (1) and an immunological modulator (1). The In vitro studies with Carvacrol included in this review showed a diversity of models and confirmed the therapeutic potential of this product in relation to several diseases.

Natural and synthetic products used for the treatment of smoke inhalation: a patent review.

INTRODUCTION: Inhalation injury is the leading cause of death in burn patients and is usually caused by the uninhibited absorption of smoke, which has an extremely toxic effect on the respiratory system. The physiopathology of inhalation injury covers multiple factors and the injured respiratory system may present deterioration in a few hours. Areas covered: In this present review, we analyzed patents based on both natural and synthetic products developed for the treatment of smoke inhalation. We found 14 patents in Espacenet, 25 in WIPO and none in the USPTO data search. Expert opinion: Several previous reports on treatments used for smoke inhalation are discussed. Although there are a number of research based products for this injury, there has been no review of the patents dealing with treatments for smoke inhalation. The development of novel natural or synthetic products are discussed in detail in the review.

Inflammatory Mediators and Oxidative Stress in Animals Subjected to Smoke Inhalation: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The inhalation injury is usually initiated by uninhibited absorption of smoke, favoring the release of cytokines and other lipid mediators from inflammatory cells in lung airways and parenchyma. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review, examine, and synthesize the main inflammatory mediators analyzed in published studies in animals subjected to smoke inhalation, as well as oxidative stress. SEARCH STRATEGY: A comprehensive literature search was conducted through MEDLINE-PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies with animals subjected to lung damage from smoke inhalation that evaluated the presence and the action of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress. RESULTS: A total of 1332 studies were initially identified, with only 31 meeting the inclusion criteria. The inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers studied and presented in the articles described herein were varied; however, the most cited ones were tumor necrosis factor-alpha (6), IL-8 and IL-6 (both studied in five articles), IL-1ß and nuclear factor kappa ß (both studied in 4 articles), malondialdehyde (11 studies), and myeloperoxidase (7). It is worth noting that most studies evaluated more than one inflammatory mediator and oxidative stress marker. CONCLUSION: Based on this review, we could observe that the main inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers analyzed were TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1ß, nuclear factor kappa ß, MDA, and MPO. However, it is necessary to increase the rigor of study design and data, in order to have studies that are more homogeneous and with appropriate methodological quality.