Despite the virulence and high fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), no specific antiviral treatment exists until the current moment. Natural agents with immune-promoting potentials such as bee products are being explored as possible treatments. Bee honey and propolis are rich in bioactive compounds that express strong antimicrobial, bactericidal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. This review examined the literature for the anti-COVID-19 effects of bee honey and propolis, with the aim of optimizing the use of these handy products as prophylactic or adjuvant treatments for people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Molecular simulations show that flavonoids in propolis and honey (e.g., rutin, naringin, caffeic acid phenyl ester, luteolin, and artepillin C) may inhibit viral spike fusion in host cells, viral-host interactions that trigger the cytokine storm, and viral replication. Similar to the potent antiviral drug remdesivir, rutin, propolis ethanolic extract, and propolis liposomes inhibited non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, and these compounds along with naringin inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells. Propolis extracts delivered by nanocarriers exhibit better antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 than ethanolic extracts. In line, hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving green Brazilian propolis or a combination of honey and Nigella sativa exhibited earlier viral clearance, symptom recovery, discharge from the hospital as well as less mortality than counterparts receiving standard care alone. Thus, the use of bee products as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 may produce beneficial effects. Implications for treatment outcomes and issues to be considered in future studies are discussed.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, Coronaviruses, Cytokine storm, Propolis, main protease, spike glycoprotein, flavonoids, in vitro, in silico, non-structural proteins, Severe acute respiratory syndrome, COVID -19, bee honey, bee products, ACE-II, randomized clinical trials, molecular docking/biochemical modeling, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Treatment, coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, Cytokine storm, Treatment outcome, Propolis, Mortality, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral, SARS-COV-2 infection, hospital, Remdesivir, flavonoids, cytokine, Symptom, Antiviral treatment, Prophylactic, rutin, antioxidant, discharge, viral clearance, immune, antiviral drug, non-structural proteins, Antiviral effect, Luteolin, Severe acute respiratory syndrome, Viral, viral replication, immunomodulatory, Honey, non-structural protein, VERO E6 cells, Nigella Sativa, respiratory, molecular simulations, virulence, fatality, hospitalized COVID-19 patient, bee, Combination, Liposome, Trigger, Vero E6, host cells, naringin, caffeic acid, natural, hospitalized COVID-19 patients, standard care, Compound, activities, viral spike, these compounds, green, Express, viral-host interaction, Effect, Effects, examined, inhibit, inhibited, receiving, exhibited, less, these compound, the cytokine storm, treatment for COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 review, Coronavirus disease 2019, clinical, bee, component,