As the world focused on developing coronavirus vaccines, a team of researchers from the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, delved into finding a therapeutic route for COVID-19. They tapped into the rich repository of Ayurvedic herbs and found Mulethi to be a promising candidate. The herb contains an active ingredient that shows potential in alleviating aggressive symptoms of COVID-19. Here is a report on their findings.
In an exciting breakthrough, a team of scientists led by Ellora Sen at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, has found that glycyrrhizin, an active ingredient in the roots of a commonly used herb Mulethi or liquorice (botanical name Glycyrrhiza glabra) shows therapeutic potential for COVID-19.
Glycyrrhizin is known to have natural anti-inflammatory properties. The herb, known as Yashtimadhu in Sanskrit, is widely used in the traditional Indian medicine system of Ayurveda to treat respiratory illnesses.
In their preliminary experiments, the researchers found that glycyrrhizin suppresses the ‘cytokine storm’ in human lung epithelial cells expressing SARS-CoV‑2 viral proteins, and inhibits SARS-CoV‑2 replication in infected cultured cells, thereby reducing the severity of the infection.
When SARS-CoV‑2 infects human cells, the body’s immune system activates to combat the viral onslaught by releasing cytokines. In their defense against the virus, the cytokines cause inflammation in the infected cells.
In the case of a severe infection, the immune cells respond rapidly by releasing a ‘storm of cytokines’ to suppress the viral replication. However, existing literature shows that the uncontrolled release of cytokines can turn out to be detrimental to the lung cells, as it causes severe inflammation and fluid accumulation in the lung tissues. This condition may lead to acute respiratory distress, cell death, and eventually, organ failure.
Team
The team: (L to R) Rajesh Kumar Kumawat, Pruthvi Gowda, Ellora Sen, Shruti Patrick, Kirti Lathoria, Touseef Sheikh, Shanker Datt Joshi
In this study, the researchers expressed SARS-CoV‑2 viral proteins in human lung cells growing in laboratory dishes, which resulted in inflammation in these cells. On further examination, they discovered that the viral proteins caused an enhanced release of a protein called HMGB1 outside the cells, triggering inflammatory cell death.
The team then treated these cells with glycyrrhizin to understand its potential in alleviating the detrimental effects of cytokine release. They found that the inflammatory death of lung cells could be rescued by glycyrrhizin. Further examination revealed that glycyrrhizin inhibited the release of HMGB1 and prevented the activation of macrophages – the immune cells primarily responsible for producing cytokines and consequently, the cytokine storm.
Sen says, “It is time we acknowledge what Ayurveda has to offer to us. We are confident that the compound glycyrrhizin can be a potential therapeutic option in COVID-19 patients.”
source: https://indiabioscience.org/