POTENTIAL ACTIVITY OF SPICES ON ACE2 EXPRESSION – A MINI REVIEW

Spices, nature’s gift to mankind are the reservoir of secondary metabolites – alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycerides, sulfides, and other oxygen/nitrogen compounds that can effectively treat viral infections, bacterial infections, and respiratory problems. Since ancient days they have been used for its anti-inflammatory, carminative, antioxidant, anti-clotting, anti-microbial, anti-pyretic, and cardiotonic properties. In search of identifying a natural therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infections, this review investigates the pharmacological nature of some commonly used spices (ajwain, asafoetida, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, long pepper and turmeric) with special reference to the mechanism of vasodilatory property. Among the selected commonly used spices, turmeric and ginger especially have been reported to alter the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to exert its vasodilatory property. The study could lead to a novel exploration of vaccines/drugs aided with a detailed investigation of individual bioactive compounds as well as their synergic effects.