The polyphenol curcumin, found in turmeric roots and used as a food coloring, could be a potential antiviral to be used against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy reported.

Curcumin is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as potential anti-tumor and antibacterial therapy benefits. Moreover, it can also be used as a kind of antidepressant. Previous research has already shown that curcumin can act as an antiviral and influence the immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Curcumin affects the replication of infectious agents, inhibits important protease enzymes, and prevents the viral particle from attaching to the cell and infecting it. Studies have shown that polyphenol is more effective against SARS-CoV-1, the causative agent of a severe acute respiratory syndrome, than other naturally occurring compounds, including hesperidin and quercetin. This substance inhibits the activity of the 3C-like protease and papain-like protease, which are necessary for the multiplication of the virus and its fight against the host's immune system.

Experts assume curcumin will lower viral load in human cells in a shorter time than other drugs, preventing the progression of COVID-19.

Modeling showed that polyphenol has a double inhibitory effect on the ability of coronavirus to bind to a cell: it inhibits the activity of both the S-protein and the ACE-2 receptor binding to it, located on the surface of the host cells.

According to scientists, the effect of curcumin can be artificially enhanced with the help of nanoparticles, which will serve as carriers of polyphenol molecules in the patient's body, as well as have a synergistic antiviral effect with it.