Table 1.
Main foods rich in bioactive molecules and their effectiveness against CoVs.
| Bioactive plant molecules | Compound | Main Source | Food Concentration (mg/100 g) | Effectiveness Against CoVs | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | Quercetin | Capers Buckwheat Onions |
Capers (raw) 234 Buckwheat 184–535 Onions 120 |
SARS-CoV-2 proteases (3CLpro, PLpro), ACE2 receptor, glycoprotein-RBD Spike | (20–23) |
| Kaempferol | Capers Saffron Brassicaceae |
Capers (raw) 259 Saffron 205 Brassicaceae 30–60 |
SARS-CoV-2 protease, glycoprotein-RBD Spike, NF-kB | (24, 25) | |
| Naringenin | Citrus fruits Tomatoes |
Grapefruit 53 Orange 11 Tangerine 11 Tomato 5–12 |
SARS-CoV-2 protease (3CLpro), ACE2 receptor, NF-kB | (26–28) | |
| Hesperetin | Citrus fruits | Orange 20–60 Tangerines 8–46 Lemon 4–41 Grapefruit 2–17 |
SARS-CoV-2 protease (3CLpro), glycoprotein-RBD Spike, ACE2 receptor | (29) | |
| Other aromatic compounds | Curcumin | Turmeric | 3,000 | SARS-CoV-2 protease (3CLpro), glycoprotein-RBD Spike, ACE2 receptor | (30, 31) |
| Phloretin | Apple Kumquat Pear Strawberry |
40 | Activation Nrf2 pathway, epigenetic regulation | (30, 32, 33) | |
| Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) | Tea | Green tea 7,380 White tea 4,245 Black tea 936 |
ACE2 receptor, NF-kB, epigenetic regulation | (34, 35) | |
| Sulfur compounds | Sulforaphane | Brassicaceae | Broccoli 1,400 | Activation Nrf2 pathway, epigenetic regulation | (36, 37) |