Abstract
Due to its high linoleic acid concentration (41%), sesame oil has been proposed to have the potential to protect from COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which was characterised by the World Health Organization as a pandemic in March 2020. Unsaturated fatty acids, in general, are active against some enveloped viruses, like COVID-19 coronavirus, due to the incorporation of the fatty acid into the lipid membrane of the viral envelope causing destabilisation of its bilayer. Broad beans (Vicia faba), grown in Northern Sudan, proved to incorporate high content of unsaturated fatty acids and in particular linoleic acid (46.41%). It forms a traditional meal in Sudan and in several Middle East countries. Hence, it is here recommended to be taken as the main meal in combination with sesame oil, as it is commonly practiced in Sudan. Theoretically, it has the potential to protect from COVID-19 coronavirus infections. This proposal needs to be confirmed by further experimental and clinical research.
Keywords: COVID-19 coronavirus, Broad beans, Vicia faba, Fatty acids, Linoleic acid
INTRODUCTION
The whole world is now crippled by the globally out breaking COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The gripping fear caused by this contagious and resilient virus is a devastating stress. Folk advices, rumours, non-medical and scientifically unjustified knowledge about preventing COVID-19 coronavirus have found a fertile soil among desperate and extremely worried people.
To contain the virus and break its cycle, all international powers vested to impose measures that would hopefully flatten the curve of the pandemic, and hence lead to its control. On the other hand, medical experts and research laboratories all over the world are working hard to come out with a vaccine and a curing medicine. Good and encouraging news are now emerging. Resorting to rich healthy nutrients would definitely help to better fight the virus attack and infection. In this note, we would like to share our knowledge regarding a food item with potential to protect from COVID-19 coronavirus infections.
Rationale of the proposal
In a recent theoretical study Fan et al. [1] discussed the use of sesame oil to prevent the infection of 2019-nCoV (COVID-19 coronavirus) and explained how sesame oil has the potential to protect people from infection by this virus. They related that activity to the high concentration of the unsaturated fatty acid (USFA), linoleic acid, 18c.2, and 9c12c, in the oil. In support of that, USFAs have been proven to be active against some enveloped viruses [2–7] due to the incorporation of the fatty acid (FA) into the lipid membrane of the viral envelope causing destabilisation of its bilayer [2]. In fact, it has been demonstrated that incubation of vesicular stomatitis virus with linoleic acid can lead to leakage of viral envelope and the effect is acid concentration dependent. Moreover, supplements of linoleic acid in human coronavirus 229-E infected cells were capable of significantly suppressing the coronavirus replication. A similar inhibitory effect was also observed in the highly virulent Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus [7].
On light of such findings, we would like to offer a nutritional advice that we hope would help people to better fight the COVID-19 virus. Our advice is based on our research findings on the composition of a Sudanese plant seed, namely, Vicia faba (broad beans) [8], which constitutes a traditional meal in most Middle East countries. The legume group is an important source of lipids and fatty acids in animal and human nutrition [9]. Its high content of the essential oil, linoleic acid, renders it a good meal for proper health. As a food source, the neuropharmacological and other potential therapeutic benefits of broad beans (V. faba) have been demonstrated [10]. Other seeds which contain fatty acids are baobab (Adansonia digitata) [11] and lalob (Balanites aegyptiaca) [12]. However, these are not used as food items.
Our findings revealed that linoleic acid percentage (46.41%) in the total fatty acid content of broad beans grown in Northern Sudan is higher than that found in sesame (41%) or baobab (30.33%) oil, but lower than that found in lalob oil (48.18%). Yet, a differential very high characteristic value of unsaturated: saturated fatty acids ratio (U/S) is exhibited by broad beans fatty acids, a property that renders broad beans of Northern Sudan a rich antioxidant source (Table 1).
Table 1.
Linoleic acid percentage and U/S values in total fatty acids contents of sesame, broad beans (V. faba), baobab (A. digitata) and lalob (B. aegyptiaca).
| Plant seed | Linoleic acid% | U/S | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame | 41 | - | [1] |
| Broad beans (V. faba) | 46.41 | 4.21 | [8] |
| Baobab (Adansonia digitata) | 30.33 | 2.83 | [11] |
| Lalob (B. aegyptiaca) | 48.18 | 2.92 | [12] |
U/S = Unsaturated/saturated.
In view of such high linoleic acid content and a high U/S value, it is logical to recommend that people take broad beans grown in Northern Sudan in the three main meals in combination with the abundantly available sesame oil. There is sound reason to believe that it will help to better fight COVID-19 coronavirus infection. Nevertheless, this proposal needs to be confirmed by further experimental and clinical research.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
FUNDING
None.
ETHICS APPROVAL
Not applicable.
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