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Review
. 2021 Jul 14;13(7):2410.
doi: 10.3390/nu13072410.

Nutraceuticals in Viral Infections: An Overview of the Immunomodulating Properties

Giorgio Costagliola  1 , Giulia Nuzzi  1 , Erika Spada  1 , Pasquale Comberiati  1   2 , Elvira Verduci  3   4 , Diego G Peroni  1
Affiliations
Review

Nutraceuticals in Viral Infections: An Overview of the Immunomodulating Properties

Giorgio Costagliola et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Nutraceuticals, including vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, lactoferrin, polyphenols coenzyme Q, magnesium, and selenium, are implicated in the modulation of the complex molecular pathways involved in the immune response against viral pathogens. A common element of the activity of nutraceuticals is their ability to enhance the innate immune response against pathogens by acting on the major cellular subsets and inducing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and antimicrobial peptides. In some cases, this action is accompanied by a direct antimicrobial effect, as evidenced in the specific case of lactoferrin. Furthermore, nutraceuticals act through complex molecular mechanisms to minimize the damage caused by the activation of the immune system against pathogens, reducing the oxidative damage, influencing the antigen presentation, enhancing the differentiation and proliferation of regulatory T cells, driving the differentiation of lymphocyte subsets, and modulating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this paper, we review the main molecular mechanisms responsible for the immunomodulatory function of nutraceuticals, focusing on the most relevant aspects for the prevention and treatment of viral infections.

Keywords: coenzyme Q; lactoferrin; magnesium; polyphenols; resveratrol; selenium; vitamin A; vitamin D; zinc.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Role of nutraceuticals in health and disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Action of nutraceuticals on the immune balance.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Interaction between individual substrate and nutraceuticals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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