Table 1.
Impact of food components on the ACE2-Ang (1–7)-MAS axis (AAM) and their applications in the treatment of post-COVID-19 complications
| Food component | Active ingredients | Effect on COVID-19 | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terpenes | |||
| Thyme and oregano | Carvacrol | Interference of ACE2 receptors in the host | Kulkarni [92], Kumar [91] |
| Lemon oil | Limonene | Downregulated ACE2 expression in epithelial cells and Stoppage of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 entry into the human body | Abdelli [97] |
| Geranium oil | Citronellol, geraniol, and neryl acetate | Prevention of the invasion of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 into the human body | Senthil Kumar [94] |
| Polyphenols | |||
| Resveratrol | Resveratrol | increase the expression of ACE2, AT2R and MASR | Kim [102] |
| Turmeric | Curcumin | Inhibition of binding of spike glycoprotein to ACE2 receptors | Mason [112] |
| Zinger | 10-paradol, 8-paradol, scopoletin, 10-shogaol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol | Reduction of viral load. Decreased shedding of COVID-19 virus in the nasal passages | Haridas [119] |
| Flavanoid | |||
| Dill, fennel leaf, onion, oregano, chili pepper | Quercetin | Binding to S protein & inhibition of rhACE2 activity | Sargiacomo [121] |
| Vitamins | |||
| Beef liver, cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, black-eyed peas, spinach, broccoli | Vitamin A | Upregulation of ACE2 receptor | Zhong [128] |
| Citrus fruits | Vitamin C | Prevention of the development of “cytokine storm” decreased the period of infection, reduced the duration of indoor confinement, and ameliorated symptoms | Hoang [135] |
| Vitamin D | Calcitriol | Increase in the ACE2 level | Xu [137] |
| Organosulphur compounds | |||
| Garlic | Allyldisulfide and allyltrisulfide | Strongly inhibit the ACE2 protein expression and COVID-19 proteases | Thuy [148] |
| Proteins/Peptides | |||
| Rapeseed protein | LY, RALP, and GHS | Increased ACE2 expression, angiotensin-(1–7) and Mas receptor levels | Rong He [151] |
| Vegetarian food components | |||
| Essential free fatty acid (FFA) | Linoleic acid (LA) | SARS-cov-2 spike (S) glycoprotein receptor-binding domains (rbds) bind tightly and specifically with essential free fatty acid (FFA) linoleic acid (LA) in three composite binding pockets | Christine Toelzer [156] |
| Broccoli | Sulforaphane | anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting JNK/AP-1/NF-κB pathway | Horowitz [159] |
| Liquorice | Glycyrrhizin | reduces the ACE2 expression in the lung and still be able to decrease lung inflammation | Feng [166] |
| Non-vegetarian food components | |||
| Egg ovotransferrin‐derived ACE inhibitory peptide | IRW | Increase in ACE2 and decrease in pro-inflammatory genes expression | Majumder [171] |
| Tuna | Peptides and selenonein | Blockade of COVID-19 viral attachment to host cells though ACE2 binding | Zhipeng Yu [173] |