Pimpinella anisum L. for COVID-19

c19early.org

COVID-19 Treatment Clinical Evidence

COVID-19 involves the interplay of 400+ viral and host proteins and factors, providing many therapeutic targets. c19early analyzes 6,000+ studies for 210+ treatments—over 17 million hours of research. Only three high-profit early treatments are approved in the US. In reality, many treatments reduce risk, with 25 low-cost treatments approved across 163 countries.

Naso/oropharyngeal treatment Effective Treatment directly to the primary source of initial infection.
Healthy lifestyles Protective Exercise, sunlight, a healthy diet, and good sleep all reduce risk.
Immune support Effective Vitamins A, C, D, and zinc show reduced risk, as with other viruses.
Thermotherapy Effective Methods for increasing internal body temperature, enhancing immune system function.
Systemic agents Effective Many systemic agents reduce risk, and may be required when infection progresses.
High-profit systemic agents Conditional Effective, but with greater access and cost barriers.
Monoclonal antibodies Limited Utility Effective but rarely used—high cost, variant dependence, IV/SC admin.
Acetaminophen Harmful Increased risk of severe outcomes and mortality.
Remdesivir Harmful Increased mortality with longer followup. Increased kidney and liver injury, cardiac disorders.

Pimpinella anisum L. may be beneficial for COVID-19 according to the study below. COVID-19 involves the interplay of 400+ viral and host proteins and factors providing many therapeutic targets. Scientists have proposed 11,000+ potential treatments. c19early.org analyzes 210+ treatments. We have not reviewed Pimpinella anisum L. in detail.

Study suggesting benefit with Pimpinella anisum L.

Mosaffa-Jahromi et al., Efficacy and safety of aniseed powder for treating gastrointestinal symptoms of COVID-19: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, Frontiers in Pharmacology, doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1331177

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms are prevalent amongst patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and may be associated with an increased risk of disease severity. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) powder as an add-on therapy to standard care for treating gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by adults with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methods: The study was a randomized parallel-group double-blinded placebo-controlled add-on therapy trial. Adults with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection who did not require hospitalization and reported at least one gastrointestinal symptom in the preceding 48 h were assigned to either the aniseed or placebo group in a 1:4 ratio. All 225 participants (45 in the aniseed group and 180 in the placebo group) were instructed to use 25 g of powdered aniseed or placebo twice daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients who experienced an improvement of at least one point in the symptom score after adjusting for age group, gender, and time. Backwards stepwise logistic regression was applied to calculate the risk ratios. The clinical symptoms and adverse events were assessed at the beginning, 1 week later, and at the end of the trial (week two).Results: Participants in the aniseed group were significantly more likely to report symptom improvement for abdominal pain [adjusted risk ratio (RR):0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46–0.72], anorexia (RR:0.62; 95% CI: 0.47–0.82), and diarrhea (RR:0.19; 95% CI: 0.12–0.30), but not nausea/vomiting (RR:0.87; 95% CI: 0.71–1.08) or bloating (RR:0.87; 95% CI: 0.72–1.05). Two participants in the aniseed group and three participants in the placebo group reported mild to moderate adverse events.Conclusion: This study showed that 2 weeks of aniseed powder containing trans-anethole (87%–94%) may help improve abdominal pain, anorexia, and diarrhea in COVID-19 patients. The findings align with the known biological, multitargeted activity of P. anisum and trans-anethole, which includes inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 along with other anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-dysbiosis properties. Multicenter trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up are warranted to confirm these findings.Clinical Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20120506009651N3).