Allium sativum derived carbon dots as a potential theranostic agent to combat the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the worst pandemics to have hit humanity. The manifestations are quite varied, ranging from severe lung infections to being asymptomatic. Hence, there is an urgent need to champion new tools to accelerate the end of this pandemic. Compromised immunity is a primary feature of COVID-19. Allium sativum (AS) is an effective dietary supplement known for its immune-modulatory, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antifungal, and anti-viral properties. In this paper, it is hypothesized that carbon dots derived from AS (AS-CDs) may possess the potential to downgrade the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and revert the immunological aberrations to normal in the case of COVID-19. Carbon dots (CDs) have already been explored in the world of nanobiomedicine as promising theranostic candidates for bioimaging and drug/gene delivery. The antifibrotic and antioxidant effects of AS are elaborated, as demonstrated in several studies. It is found that the most active constituent of AS, allicin has a highly potent antioxidant and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging effect. The antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-viral effects along with their capability of negating inflammatory effects and cytokine storm, are discussed. The synthesis of theranostic CDs from AS may provide a novel weapon in the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of COVID-19 infection and, at the same time, could act as a diagnostic agent for COVID-19.

Coronavirus and Carbon Nanotubes: Seeking Immunological Relationships to Discover Immunotherapeutic Possibilities

“…CDs present themselves as efficient candidates for modulating infection by altering the viral cycle; through binding interactions with host cells, CDs can prevent the viruses from entering the cells. 205 Sensors are critical for rapid detection, and in pandemic times, the demand for more selective and affordable devices for viral diagnostic-detection is high. Studies have shown that CDs have as main mechanisms of action, electron transfer, photoinduced charge transfer and energy transfer, which induces the efficiency for the detection of bacteria and viruses.…”

Honghua extract mediated potent inhibition of COVID-19 host cell pathways

“…Based on our data that Honghua or Xihonghua may target cell adhesion, which may link to extracellular matrix based targeting in nanomedicine 41 . Moreover, carbon dots could also be applied in anti-COVID-19 42 , 43 . In addition to nanomedicine, as a matter of fact, nanoparticles such as lipid nanoparticles have been used in delivery of mRNA for COVID-19 vaccines 44 .…”

An overview on nanoparticle-based strategies to fight viral infections with a focus on COVID-19

“…The antifibrotic and antioxidant properties of AS are explained with accuracy, as confirmed in numerous investigations. It is found that the most active constituent of AS, allicin has an extremely strong antioxidant and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging efficacy [ 158 ].…”