ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2021;38(3):193-209

Review article

UDC: 616.8:616.98:578.834]:615.322  
DOI: 10.5937/afmnai38-30190

Possible Health Benefits of Polyphenols in Neurological
Disorders Associated with COVID-19

Johnson Olaleye Oladele¹, Oluwaseun Titilope Oladele², Oyedotun Moses Oyeleke¹

¹Kings University, Department of Chemical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, Ode-Omu, Osun State, Nigeria
²Osun State University, Department of Biochemistry, Phytomedicine and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories,
Osogbo, Nigeria

SUMMARY
   

                      Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents an emerging global health burden that has challenged the health systems worldwide. Since its sudden upsurge in 2019, many COVID-19 patients have exhibited neurological symptoms and complications. Till now, there is no known effective established drug against the highly contagious COVID-19 infection despite the frightening associated mortality rate. This article aims to present the mechanism of action of coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the clinical neurological manifestations displayed by COVID-19 patients, and present polyphenols with neuroprotective ability that can offer beneficial effects against COVID-19-mediated neuropathology. Reports from COVID-19 clinical studies, case reports, and other related literature were evaluated for this review. Neurological complications of COVID-19 include anosmia, acute cerebrovascular disease, acute disseminated post-infectious encephalomyelitis, encephalitis, etc. Also, SARS-CoV-2 соuld be a neurotropic vіruѕ due to its iѕоlаtіоn from сеrеbrоѕріnаl fluіd. Multірlе nеurоlоgісаl dаmаgеs displayed by COVID-19 patients might be due to hyperinflammation associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Resveratrol, kolaviron, quercetin and apigenin are polyphenols with proven anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties that can extenuate the adverse effects of COVID-19. These polyphenols have been documented to suppress c-Jun N- terminal kinase (JNK), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3-K), еxtrасеllulаr-ѕіgnаl-rеgulаtеd kinase (ERK), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-kB) and mіtоgеn-асtіvаtеd protein kіnаѕе (MAPK) pathways which are essential in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. They also showed significant inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Taken together, these polyphenols may offer neuroprotective benefits against COVID-19 mediated neuropathology via modulation of the pathogenic pathways.

Key words: neuropathology, polyphenols, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, kolaviron; apigenin, quercetin