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Nutraceuticals have emerged as potential compounds to attenuate the COVID-19 complications. Precisely, these food additives strengthen the overall COVID treatment and enhance the immunity of a person. Such compounds have been used at a large scale, in almost every household due to their better affordability and easy access. Therefore, current research is focused on developing newer advanced formulations from potential drug candidates including nutraceuticals with desirable properties viz, affordability, ease of availability, ease of administration, stability under room temperature, and potentially longer shelf-lives. As such, various nutraceutical-based products such as compounds could be promising agents for effectively managing COVID-19 symptoms and complications. Most importantly, regular consumption of such nutraceuticals has been shown to boost the immune system and prevent viral infections. Nutraceuticals such as vitamins, amino acids, flavonoids like curcumin, and probiotics have been studied for their role in the prevention of COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, pain, malaise, and dry cough. In this review, we have critically reviewed the potential of various nutraceutical-based therapeutics for the management of COVID-19. We searched the information relevant to our topic from search engines such as PubMed and Scopus using COVID-19, nutraceuticals, probiotics, and vitamins as a keyword. Any scientific literature published in a language other than English was excluded. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Nutraceuticals possess both nutritional values and medicinal properties. They can aid in the prevention and treatment of diseases, as well as promote physical health and the immune system, normalizing body functions, and improving longevity. Recently, nutraceuticals such as probiotics, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace minerals, and medicinal plants have attracted considerable attention and are widely regarded as potential alternatives to current therapeutic options for the effective management of various diseases, including COVID-19.

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Tobacco smoke is not only a leading cause for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disorders, and lung and oral cancers, but also causes neurological disorders such as Alzheimer ’s disease. Tobacco smoke consists of more than 4500 toxic chemicals, which form free radicals and can cross blood-brain barrier resulting in oxidative stress, an extracellular amyloid plaque from the aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide deposition in the brain. Further, respiratory infections such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus have also been involved in the induction and development of the disease. The necessary information collated on this review has been gathered from various literature published from 1995 to 2019. The review article sheds light on the role of smoking and respiratory infections in causing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, resulting in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review will be of interest to scientists and researchers from biological and medical science disciplines, including microbiology, pharmaceutical sciences and the translational researchers, etc. The increasing understanding of the relationship between chronic lung disease and neurological disease is two-fold. First, this would help to identify the risk factors and possible therapeutic interventions to reduce the development and progression of both diseases. Second, this would help to reduce the probable risk of development of AD in the population prone to chronic lung diseases.

Plant-derived natural products, also known as phytochemicals, are one of the most important sources of drug discovery. Due to their wide abundance in nature and structural diversity, various phytochemicals are gaining research interest for the discovery and development of effective therapeutic agents for various diseases, including lung diseases. Bioavailability and metabolism have been the main limiting factors for the effective use of these phytochemicals. In recent years, various novel drug delivery systems, including nanoformulations, have been evaluated for the effective delivery of these phytochemicals. This chapter will cover research related to the potential use of phytochemicals (e.g., polyphenols, alkaloids, steroids) and their nanoformulations in lung diseases.

Respiratory diseases contribute to a significant percentage of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The circadian rhythm is a natural biological process where our bodily functions align with the 24 h oscillation (sleep–wake cycle) process and are controlled by the circadian clock protein/gene. Disruption of the circadian rhythm could alter normal lung function. Chronotherapy is a type of therapy provided at specific time intervals based on an individual’s circadian rhythm. This would allow the drug to show optimum action, and thereby modulate its pharmacokinetics to lessen unwanted or unintended effects. In this review, we deliberated on the recent advances employed in chrono-targeted therapeutics for chronic respiratory diseases.

Epidemiological and interventional studies have linked saturated fatty acids (SFA) with elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and increased CVD risk. However, the effects of the SFA chain length on postprandial lipemia in humans are not well elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of short, medium and long-chain SFA on postprandial blood lipids in healthy volunteers. Sixteen healthy volunteers consumed test biscuits containing 40 g of either butter (BB), coconut oil (CB) or lard (LB) in a single-blinded, randomized crossover design. Blood samples were collected fasting and 2, 3, 4, and 6 hours postprandially and assessed for blood lipids (total cholesterol, TC; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C; LDL-C and triglyceride, TG). The postprandial TG response following CB was 59.8% lower than following BB (p 0.01) and 58.8% lower than LB (p 0.01), although no difference was observed between the BB and the LB responses. The net area under the LDL-C concentration curve was significantly larger after consumption of the CB compared to the BB, despite no significant differences in postprandial net area under the TC and HDL-C concentration curves. Consumption of medium-chain SFA as CB resulted in lower postprandial TG excursions compared to short-chain SFA as BB and long-chain SFA as LB, despite their identical fat and caloric content. These results suggest that SFA differ in their potential to elevate postprandial lipid levels, and that coconut oil, a rich source of medium-chain SFA may not be as hyperlipidemic as animal fats rich in long chain SFA. ANZCTR IDENTIFIER: 12617000903381. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: The study was registered with the Australia New Zealand Trial registry as ACTRN12617000903381.

Nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is a unique protein complex that plays a major role in lung inflammation and respiratory dysfunction. The NFκB signaling pathway, therefore becomes an avenue for the development of potential pharmacological interventions, especially in situations where chronic inflammation is often constitutively active and plays a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease. NFκB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) are double-stranded and carry NFκB binding sequences. They prevent the formation of NFκB-mediated inflammatory cytokines and thus have been employed in the treatment of a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the systemic administration of naked decoy ODNs restricts their therapeutic effectiveness because of their poor pharmacokinetic profile, instability, degradation by cellular enzymes and their low cellular uptake. Both structural modification and nanotechnology have shown promising results in enhancing the pharmacokinetic profiles of potent therapeutic substances and have also shown great potential in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. In this review, we examine the contribution of NFκB activation in respiratory diseases and recent advancements in the therapeutic use of decoy ODNs. In addition, we also highlight the limitations and challenges in use of decoy ODNs as therapeutic molecules, cellular uptake of decoy ODNs, and the current need for novel delivery systems to provide efficient delivery of decoy ODNs. Furthermore, this review provides a common platform for discussion on the existence of decoy ODNs, as well as outlining perspectives on the latest generation of delivery systems that encapsulate decoy ODNs and target NFκB in respiratory diseases.

Liensinine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid found in various parts of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) including seeds. In this study, we explored the preventive activity of liensinine on vascular inflammation via attenuation of inflammatory mediators in macrophage and targeting the proliferation and migration of human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Anti-oxidative activity was evaluated by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay method and measuring the peroxidation of serum lipid. Inflammatory markers were studied by evaluating the release of nitric oxide (NO) and the protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in macrophage cells (RAW264.7) and interleukin (IL)-6 production in VSMC. Similarly, anti-proliferative activity in VSMC was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in VSMC was evaluated by gelatin zymography. Liensinine possesses significant anti-oxidative activity as revealed by the DPPH assay and inhibition of serum lipid peroxidation. Likewise, liensinine decreased NO generation in RAW 264.7 cells. In VSMC, liensinine suppressed platelet-derived growth factor stimulated proliferation and tumor necrosis factor-&alpha, (TNF-&alpha, ) induced MMP-9 enzymatic activity as well as IL-6 expression. Our results revealed the potential preventive effect of liensinine on vascular inflammation, suggesting it as a promising compound for the prevention of vascular inflammation.

Catechins, a group of phenolic compounds (flavan-3-ols), are one of most widely studied plant secondary metabolites regarding their diverse pharmacological actions. Found in many foods and beverages including tea, catechins are reported to be useful for the prevention and treatment of cancer in in vitro and in vivo studies. Various signalling mechanisms have also been explored for the cancer chemopreventive activities of tea and tea catechins. However, the translational research on these compounds to clinical studies have not been performed in detail as compared to in vitro and in vivo studies. This chapter critically discusses the role of catechins in cancer prevention and treatment with special focus on their mechanism of action on signaling pathways.

Cancer is a pathological condition where excessive and abnormal cell growth leads to widespread invasion within the body to affect various organ functions. It is known that chemotherapeutic agents are themselves possible candidate of cancer generation as they can kill normal cells. So, therapeutic approach for cancer treatment and prevention is weighed in terms of benefit to risk ratio. Nowadays, there is an immense interest for the search herbal formulation with cancer preventive effect because of the problems, generated with existing chemotherapeutic regimens. Research interest in fruits rich in polyphenols is increasing because of their anticancer potential. In this review, we highlight the potential health benefits of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit and the underlying mechanism of its inhibition of cancer progression. Pomegranate has demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and anti-invasive effects on various cancer cell line in vitro as well as in vivo animal model or human clinical trial. Although several clinical trials are in progress for identifying the pomegranate as a candidate for various cancer treatment. It is necessary to replicate and validate its therapeutic efficacy by multiple clinical studies in order to formulate pomegranate products as an integral part of the dietary and pharmacological intervention in anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multiple therapeutics options are available for the management of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in recent years, along with a better understanding of cancer biology. These therapies can be broadly classified as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and combination therapy. Chemotherapy is the first treatment option used in the advanced stage of the disease, showing beneficial activity for patients compared with palliative care. Among chemotherapy, research has been done and going on to explore the beneficial activity of cisplatin, gemcitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, carboplatin, and doxorubicin. Immunotherapy is a potential therapeutic option for lung cancer patients with robust results and multiple evidence of positive response during trial and treatments. For immunotherapy, various immune checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab, atezolizumab, and avelumab targeting programmed cell death protein 1/program cell death-ligand one pathway are in a clinical trial. Due to the recognition of various oncogenic drivers, novel targeted therapies are being investigated and established. These therapies are crucial in the management of particular patients and can be given as first-line therapy too. In targeted therapy, alectinib, ceritinib, and lorlatinib target ALK gene, whereas crizotinib targets ROS1 gene, and afatinib, erlotinib, and gefitinib target EGFR gene. Likewise, multiple drugs are administered as a combination therapy such as carboplatin-paclitaxel and cisplatin-etoposide-irinotecan, and nivolumab with platinum doublet therapy is used in lung cancer for better outcomes, synergistic effects, and reduced adverse side effects. In this book chapter, we will discuss all of these four treatment options highlighting the latest research, including clinical trials, animal studies, and in vitro studies. Our information aims to alter the paradigm on the treatment of lung cancer and highlight the fact that upcoming novel treatments are promising with many benefits for patients.

© 2016 Journal of Integrative Medicine Editorial Office. E-edition published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. Juglans regia Linn. (Juglandaceae), popularly known as English or Persian walnut, is a valuable medicinal plant with a potency to cure various diseases in traditional medicine. Since ancient time, different local ethnic groups have used various part of J. regia for a wide array of ailments including helminthiasis, diarrhea, sinusitis, stomach ache, arthritis, asthma, eczema, scrofula, skin disorders, diabetes mellitus, anorexia, thyroid dysfunction, cancer and infectious diseases. Biological activities of J. regia have been reported in several peer review journals and scientific attention is increasing. The present review attempts to provide comprehensive information on plant description, ethnobotanical use, toxicity, phytochemical profile, pharmacology, clinical studies and current research prospective of the J. regia. Currently, there is an immense interest on isolation/identification of active constituents from walnut and screening those active compounds for pharmacological activities. In addition, researchers are performing clinical trials as well as screening various solvent extracts or fractions of J. regia in several animal diseases models to identify promising therapeutic benefits. In the present work, we review the latest information based on published scientific investigations of J. regia.

Background Medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) may affect circulating lipids and lipoproteins differently than long-chain saturated fatty acids (LCSFAs), but the results from human intervention trials have been equivocal. Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether MCFAs and LCSFAs have differential impacts on blood lipids and lipoproteins. Design Five databases were searched (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Scopus) until April 2018, and published clinical trials investigating the differential effects of dietary MCFAs and LCSFAs on blood lipids were included. Searches were limited to the English language and to studies with adults aged >18 y. Where possible, studies were pooled for meta-analysis using RevMan 5.2. The principle summary measure was the mean difference between groups calculated using the random-effects model. Results Eleven eligible crossover and 1 parallel trial were identified with a total of 299 participants [weighted mean ± SD age: 38 ± 3 y; weighted mean ± SD body mass index (kg/m2): 24 ± 2]. All studies were pooled for the meta-analysis. Diets enriched with MCFAs led to significantly higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations than diets enriched with LCSFAs (0.11 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.15 mmol/L) with no effect on triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol concentrations. Consumption of diets rich in MCFAs significantly increased apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) concentrations compared with diets rich in LCSFAs (0.08 g/L; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.14 g/L). There was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity for HDL cholesterol, apoA-I, and triglyceride concentrations; however, significant heterogeneity was observed for the total cholesterol (I2 = 49%) and LDL cholesterol analysis (I2 = 58%). Conclusion The findings of this research demonstrate a differential effect of MCFAs and LCSFAs on HDL cholesterol concentrations. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the mechanism by which the lipid profile is altered. This trial was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42017078277.

Copyright © 2018 Nisha Panth et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License Morus alba (white mulberry) is native to the northern part of Korea and popularly used as a traditional medicine due to its numerous health benefits against human's disease. However, the possibility that M. alba may also affect the cardiovascular system remains unexplored. This study sought to investigate the vascular protective effects of the root bark extract of M. alba (MAE). Vascular reactivity was performed in organ baths using isolated rat thoracic aorta, while platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were studied by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and wound healing assay, respectively. MAE evoked a concentration dependent vasorelaxation following endothelium-dependent pathway. However, vessel relaxations in response to MAE were markedly reduced after endothelium removal; treatment of endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, and nonspecific potassium channel inhibitor, however, was not altered by cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Furthermore, MAE also significantly blunted contractile response to vasoconstrictor agent, phenylephrine. Taken together, the current evidence revealed that MAE is a potent endothelium-dependent vasodilator and this effect was involved in, at least in part, nitric oxide cyclic-guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) pathway in combination with potassium (K + ) channel activation. Moreover, MAE inhibited proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by PDGF. Therefore, MAE could be a promising candidate of natural medicine for preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases linked with endothelial dysfunction.

High salt intake causes and aggravates arterial hypertension and vascular dysfunction. We investigated the effect of Salicornia europaea extracts (SE) on vascular function and blood pressure. SE constituents were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography, and SE’s effect on vascular function was evaluated in isolated porcine coronary arteries. SE’s vascular protective effect was also evaluated in vivo using normotensive and spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs). SE mainly contained sodium chloride (55.6%), 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, p-coumaric acid, and trans-ferulic acid. High sodium (160 mmol/L) induced vascular dysfunction; however, SE containing the same quantity of sodium did not cause vascular dysfunction. Among the compounds in SE, trans-ferulic acid accounts for the vascular protective effect. Normotensive rats fed a high-salt diet showed significantly increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP), which decreased significantly in the SE-treated groups. In SHRs, high edible salt intake significantly increased SBP, DBP, and MAP, but SE intake was associated with a significantly lower MAP. Thus, SE did not induce vascular dysfunction, and trans-ferulic acid might be at least partly responsible for the vasoprotective effect of SE. Taken together, SE could be used as an alternative to purified salt to prevent and ameliorate hypertension.

Cancer is a pathological condition where excessive and abnormal cell growth leads to widespread invasion within the body to affect various organ functions. It is known that chemotherapeutic agents are themselves possible candidate of cancer generation as they can kill normal cells. So, therapeutic approach for cancer treatment and prevention is weighed in terms of benefit to risk ratio. Nowadays, there is an immense interest for the search herbal formulation with cancer preventive effect because of the problems, generated with existing chemotherapeutic regimens. Research interest in fruits rich in polyphenols is increasing because of their anticancer potential. In this review, we highlight the potential health benefits of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit and the underlying mechanism of its inhibition of cancer progression. Pomegranate has demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and anti-invasive effects on various cancer cell line in vitro as well as in vivo animal model or human clinical trial. Although several clinical trials are in progress for identifying the pomegranate as a candidate for various cancer treatment. It is necessary to replicate and validate its therapeutic efficacy by multiple clinical studies in order to formulate pomegranate products as an integral part of the dietary and pharmacological intervention in anticancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 John WileySons, Ltd.

The levels of circulating microparticles (MPs) are raised in various cardiovascular diseases. Their increased level in plasma is regarded as a biomarker of alteration in vascular function. The prominent MPs present in blood are endothelial microparticles (EMPs) described as complex submicron (0.1 to 1.0 μm) vesicles like structure, released in response to endothelium cell activation or apoptosis. EMPs possess both physiological and pathological effects and may promote oxidative stress and vascular inflammation. EMPs release is triggered by inducer like angiotensin II, lipopolysaccharide, and hydrogen peroxide leading to the progression of atherosclerosis. However, there are multiple physiological pathways for EMPs generation like NADPH oxidase derived endothelial ROS formation, Rho kinase pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Endothelial dysfunction is a key initiating event in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Atheroemboli, resulting from ruptured carotid plaques, is a major cause of stroke. Increasing evidence suggests that EMPs play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, acting as a marker of damage, either exacerbating disease progression or triggering a repair response. In this regard, it has been suggested that EMPs have the potential to act as biomarkers of disease status. This review aims to provide updated information of EMPs in relation to atherosclerosis pathogenesis.

Nelumbo nuciferaGaertn. (Nymphaeaceae) is a potential aquatic crop grown and consumed throughout Asia. All parts ofN. nuciferahave been used for various medicinal purposes in various systems of medicine including folk medicines, Ayurveda, Chinese traditional medicine, and oriental medicine. Many chemical constituents have been isolated till the date. However, the bioactive constituents of lotus are mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Traditionally, the whole plant of lotus was used as astringent, emollient, and diuretic. It was used in the treatment of diarrhea, tissue inflammation, and homeostasis. The rhizome extract was used as antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of asteroidal triterpenoid. Leaves were used as an effective drug for hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, and metrorrhagia. Flowers were used to treat diarrhea, cholera, fever, and hyperdipsia. In traditional medicine practice, seeds are used in the treatment of tissue inflammation, cancer and skin diseases, leprosy, and poison antidote. Embryo of lotus seeds is used in traditional Chinese medicine as Lian Zi Xin, which primarily helps to overcome nervous disorders, insomnia, and cardiovascular diseases (hypertension and arrhythmia). Nutritional value of lotus is as important as pharmaceutical value. These days’ different parts of lotus have been consumed as functional foods. Thus, lotus can be regarded as a potential nutraceutical source.