Investigation of potential effects of quercetin on COVID-19 treatment: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Zehra Nur Beşler, Damla Zeynep Bayraktar, Meryem Cemile Koçak, Gül Kızıltan
Clinical Science of Nutrition, doi:10.62210/clinscinutr.2024.86
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly become a global health crisis. Currently, there are no proven, reliable, specific treatments for COVID-19. Alongside drug interventions, supportive treatments are implemented during the disease. Quercetin, recognized for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and antioxidant properties, is under evaluation in this study for its potential impact on preventing, influencing the course, and mitigating the severity of COVID-19.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
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'abstract': '<jats:p>Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly become a global health crisis. '
'Currently, there are no proven, reliable, specific treatments for COVID-19. Alongside drug '
'interventions, supportive treatments are implemented during the disease. Quercetin, '
'recognized for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and antioxidant properties, is '
'under evaluation in this study for its potential impact on preventing, influencing the '
'course, and mitigating the severity of COVID-19.\r\n'
'Methods: A thorough search was conducted across scientific databases, including PubMed, '
'Embase, Web of Science, SAGEpub, Copernicus, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, '
'Scopus, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Crossref, Ovid-LWW, and DergiPark databases, between 1 '
'November 2021 and 1 April 2022 to ensure a comprehensive inclusion of relevant studies.\r\n'
'Results: Thirteen randomized controlled clinical trials (five published, eight unpublished) '
'were identified. Existing literature supports quercetin’s role as a potent free radical '
'scavenger with robust antioxidant properties. It exhibits anti-inflammatory characteristics '
'by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and restraining pro-inflammatory enzymes such as '
'lipoxygenase and phospholipase A2. Scholarly discourse suggests that quercetin '
'supplementation within the 500-1500 mg range leads to favorable outcomes, including quicker '
'patient discharge, reduced inflammation, increased respiratory rate, accelerated viral '
'clearance, and an improved disease prognosis. However, it is noted that intervention '
'durations vary across studies.\r\n'
'Conclusions: The analysis of the studies suggested that quercetin is a promising therapeutic '
'agent that can cause a decrease in disease symptoms, frequency of hospitalization, hospital '
'stay, need for non-invasive oxygen treatment, need for intensive care, and mortality. '
'Nonetheless, more clinical studies are needed to better understand quercetin’s curative '
'effects on COVID-19 infection.</jats:p>',
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