Herbal spices-based therapeutics for diabetic patients with COVID-19 infection: A review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a highly challenging situation and affects people's lives severely. Nowadays, the original coronavirus gets mutated into different variants and infects all age groups. Elderly people with comorbidities like diabetes are highly susceptible to coronavirus infection due to poor glycemic control, and immunity. The mechanism of COVID-19 infection is not fully understood. However, the scenario of current infection is similar to the history of pandemics that the world faced earlier (i.e.) the persisted hyperglycemia is considered as the major root cause of severe viral infections. The uncontrolled hyperglycemia can produce low-grade inflammation and impaired immunity mediated cytokine storm that can cause multiple organs failure and sudden death in diabetic patients with COVID-19 infection. The available hypoglycemic and antiviral drugs and vaccines are not sufficiently efficient against COVID-19 and also cause several side effects. As the traditional medicines are considered life-saving drugs for various human diseases, the present review has analyzed the herbs-spices with antiviral, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. The intake of this herbal-spices formulation could exert both therapeutic and prophylactic effects against the COVID-19. However, the proper scientific studies are necessary for the validation of its efficacy and mode of action against COVID-19.