Immune-Boosting and Antiviral Effects of Antioxidants in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Therapeutic Perspective

{ 'indexed': { 'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]], 'date-time': '2025-01-16T16:40:31Z', 'timestamp': 1737045631787, 'version': '3.33.0'}, 'reference-count': 0, 'publisher': 'MDPI AG', 'issue': '1', 'license': [ { 'start': { 'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]], 'date-time': '2025-01-16T00:00:00Z', 'timestamp': 1736985600000}, 'content-version': 'vor', 'delay-in-days': 0, 'URL': 'https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'}], 'content-domain': {'domain': [], 'crossmark-restriction': False}, 'abstract': '<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 ' '(SARS-CoV-2) has profoundly impacted global health, with pneumonia emerging as a major ' 'complication in severe cases. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is marked by the overproduction of ' 'reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an excessive inflammatory response, resulting in oxidative ' 'stress and significant tissue damage, particularly in the respiratory system. Antioxidants ' 'have garnered considerable attention for their potential role in managing COVID-19 pneumonia ' 'by mitigating oxidative stress and modulating immune responses. This review provides a ' 'comprehensive overview of the literature on the use of antioxidants in hospitalized patients ' 'with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Studies exploring antioxidants, including vitamins, trace ' 'elements, nitric oxide (NO), ozone (O3), glutathione (GSH), L-carnitine, melatonin, ' 'bromelain, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and numerous polyphenols, have yielded promising outcomes. ' 'Through their ROS-scavenging properties, these molecules support endothelial function, reduce ' 'the thrombosis risk, and may help mitigate the effects of the cytokine storm, a key ' 'contributor to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Clinical evidence suggests that antioxidant ' 'supplementation may improve patient outcomes by decreasing inflammation, supporting immune ' 'cell function, and potentially shortening recovery times. Furthermore, these molecules may ' 'mitigate the symptoms of COVID-19 by exerting direct antiviral effects that inhibit the ' 'infection process and genomic replication of SARS-CoV-2 in host cells. Moreover, antioxidants ' 'may work synergistically with standard antiviral treatments to reduce viral-induced oxidative ' 'damage. By integrating findings from the literature with real-world data from our clinical ' 'experience, we gain a more profound understanding of the role of antioxidants in managing ' 'COVID-19 pneumonia. Further research combining comprehensive literature reviews with ' 'real-world data analysis is crucial to validate the efficacy of antioxidants and establish ' 'evidence-based guidelines for their use in clinical practice.</jats:p>', 'DOI': '10.3390/life15010113', 'type': 'journal-article', 'created': {'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]], 'date-time': '2025-01-16T15:44:23Z', 'timestamp': 1737042263000}, 'page': '113', 'source': 'Crossref', 'is-referenced-by-count': 0, 'title': 'Immune-Boosting and Antiviral Effects of Antioxidants in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Therapeutic ' 'Perspective', 'prefix': '10.3390', 'volume': '15', 'author': [ { 'ORCID': 'https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3336-7290', 'authenticated-orcid': False, 'given': 'Stefano', 'family': 'Sanduzzi Zamparelli', 'sequence': 'first', 'affiliation': [ { 'name': 'Division of Pneumology and Semi-intensive Respiratory Therapy, ' 'A. Cardarelli Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy'}]}, { 'ORCID': 'https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0977-2643', 'authenticated-orcid': False, 'given': 'Alessandro', 'family': 'Sanduzzi Zamparelli', 'sequence': 'additional', 'affiliation': [ { 'name': 'Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of ' 'Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy'}, { 'name': 'UNESCO Chair for Health Education and Sustainable Development, ' 'University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy'}, {'name': 'ERN Lung, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany'}]}, { 'given': 'Marialuisa', 'family': 'Bocchino', 'sequence': 'additional', 'affiliation': [ { 'name': 'Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of ' 'Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy'}]}], 'member': '1968', 'published-online': {'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]]}, 'container-title': 'Life', 'original-title': [], 'language': 'en', 'link': [ { 'URL': 'https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/1/113/pdf', 'content-type': 'unspecified', 'content-version': 'vor', 'intended-application': 'similarity-checking'}], 'deposited': { 'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]], 'date-time': '2025-01-16T16:03:24Z', 'timestamp': 1737043404000}, 'score': 1, 'resource': {'primary': {'URL': 'https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/1/113'}}, 'subtitle': [], 'short-title': [], 'issued': {'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]]}, 'references-count': 0, 'journal-issue': {'issue': '1', 'published-online': {'date-parts': [[2025, 1]]}}, 'alternative-id': ['life15010113'], 'URL': 'http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life15010113', 'relation': {}, 'ISSN': ['2075-1729'], 'subject': [], 'container-title-short': 'Life', 'published': {'date-parts': [[2025, 1, 16]]}}