Potential of natural astaxanthin in alleviating the risk of cytokine storm in COVID-19
Autor
Talukdar, Jayanta
Bhadra, Bhaskar
Nagle, Vinod
Dasgupta, Santanu
Institución
Resumen
Host excessive inflammatory immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is thought to
underpin the pathogenesis of COVID-19 associated severe pneumonitis and acute lung
injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Once an immunological
complication like cytokine storm occurs, anti-viral based monotherapy alone is not
enough. Additional anti-inflammatory treatment is recommended. It must be noted that
anti-inflammatory drugs such as JAK inhibitors, IL-6 inhibitors, TNF-α inhibitors,
colchicine, etc., have been either suggested or are under trials for managing cytokine
storm in COVID-19 infections. Natural astaxanthin (ASX) has a clinically proven safety
profile and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. There
is evidence from preclinical studies that supports its preventive actions against ALI/ARDS.
Moreover, ASX has a potent PPARs activity. Therefore, it is plausible to speculate that
ASX could be considered as a potential adjunctive supplement. Here, we summarize the
mounting evidence where ASX is shown to exert protective effect by regulating the
expression of pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. We present reports
where ASX is shown to prevent against oxidative damage and attenuate exacerbation of
the inflammatory responses by regulating signaling pathways like NF-ĸB, NLRP3 and
JAK/STAT. These evidences provide a rationale for considering natural astaxanthin as a
therapeutic agent against inflammatory cytokine storm and associated risks in COVID-19
infection and this suggestion requires further validation with clinical studies.