Open AccessRepositioning Vitamin C as a Promising Option to Alleviate Complications associated with COVID-19
Author(s) -
Mithila Farjana,
Akhi Moni,
Abdullah Al Mamun Sohag,
Adeba Hasan,
Md. Abdul Hannan,
Md. Golzar Hossain,
Jamal Uddin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
infection and chemotherapy/gam'yeom gwa hwahag yo'beob/infection and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.724
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2092-6448
pISSN - 1598-8112
DOI - 10.3947/ic.2020.52.4.461
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin c , ascorbic acid , immune system , vitamin , vitamin d and neurology , covid-19 , oxidative stress , antioxidant , coronavirus , inflammation , cathelicidin , autophagy , immunology , pharmacology , disease , biology , innate immune system , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biochemistry , apoptosis , food science
Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is an essential vitamin with pleiotropic functions, ranging from antioxidant to anti-microbial functions. Evidence suggests that vitamin C acts against inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy chaos, and immune dysfunction. The ability to activate and enhance the immune system makes this versatile vitamin a prospective therapeutic agent amid the current situation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Being highly effective against the influenza virus, causing the common cold, vitamin C may also function against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and its associated complications. Severe infections need higher doses of the vitamin to compensate for the augmented inflammatory response and metabolic demand that commonly occur during COVID-19. Compelling evidence also suggests that a high dose of vitamin C (1.5 g/kg body weight) in inflammatory conditions can result in effective clinical outcomes and thus can be employed to combat COVID-19. However, further studies are crucial to delineate the mechanism underlying the action of vitamin C against COVID-19. The current review aims to reposition vitamin C as an alternative approach for alleviating COVID-19-associated complications.