The Therapeutic and Prophylactic Potential of Quercetin against COVID-19: An Outlook on the Clinical Studies, Inventive Compositions, and Patent Literature

Mohd Imran; Hamdy Khamees Thabet; Saleh I Alaqel; Abdullah R Alzahrani; Abida Abida; Mohammed Kanan Alshammari; Mehnaz Kamal; Anupama Diwan; Syed Mohammed Basheeruddin Asdaq; Sultan Alshehri

doi:10.3390/antiox11050876

The Therapeutic and Prophylactic Potential of Quercetin against COVID-19: An Outlook on the Clinical Studies, Inventive Compositions, and Patent Literature

Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Apr 29;11(5):876. doi: 10.3390/antiox11050876.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Science, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Al-Abidiyah, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Rafha Central Hospital, North Zone, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Apeejay Stya University, Sohna-Palwal Road, Sohna 122103, India.
⁷ Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Quercetin is a phenolic flavonol compound with established antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immuno-stimulant properties. Recent studies demonstrate the potential of quercetin against COVID-19. This article highlighted the prophylactic/therapeutic potential of quercetin against COVID-19 in view of its clinical studies, inventions, and patents. The literature for the subject matter was collected utilizing different databases, including PubMed, Sci-Finder, Espacenet, Patentscope, and USPTO. Clinical studies expose the potential of quercetin monotherapy, and also its combination therapy with other compounds, including zinc, vitamin C, curcumin, vitamin D3, masitinib, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and ivermectin. The patent literature also examines claims that quercetin containing nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements, alone or in combination with other drugs/compounds, including favipiravir, remdesivir, molnupiravir, navitoclax, dasatinib, disulfiram, rucaparib, tamarixin, iota-carrageenan, and various herbal extracts (aloe, poria, rosemary, and sphagnum) has potential for use against COVID-19. The literature reveals that quercetin exhibits anti-COVID-19 activity because of its inhibitory effect on the expression of the human ACE2 receptors and the enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 (MPro, PLPro, and RdRp). The USFDA designated quercetin as a "Generally Recognized as Safe" substance for use in the food and beverage industries. It is also an inexpensive and readily available compound. These facts increase the possibility and foreseeability of making novel and economical drug combinations containing quercetin to prevent/treat COVID-19. Quercetin is an acidic compound and shows metabolic interaction with some antivirals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore, the physicochemical and metabolic drug interactions between quercetin and the combined drugs/compounds must be better understood before developing new compositions.

Keywords: COVID-19; antioxidant; clinical trial; invention; patent; quercetin.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia, via grant number “IF-2020-NBU-217”. The APC was also funded by the Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia.