CC BY 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry 2022; 11(03): 158-165
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760102
Review Article

Role of Dietary Flavonoids in Preventing COVID-19 Infection and Other Infectious Diseases: A Mini Review

1   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
2   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
3   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
,
Komal Smriti
2   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
Vathsala Patil
2   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
Srikanth Gadicherla
1   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
1   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
› Author Affiliations
Funding None.

Abstract

Flavonoids are a large group of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds that are almost universally present in various plant parts such as fruits, berries, leaves, and tubers. These compounds are synthesized in plants in reaction to environmental stressors such as microbial infections. The antioxidant properties in these flavonoids provide us with numerous health benefits. They can be extracted from said natural sources via methods such as maceration and boiling all the way to advanced methods such as microwaves and ultrasounds.

Numerous studies have been conducted to research the protective role that flavonoids can play in preventing infectious diseases in humans. The present modalities of treating such infectious diseases rely solely on chemotherapeutic agents and adjunctive therapies such as palliative and supportive care. These chemotherapeutic agents, primarily antibiotics, cause a degeneration of our immunity and an increased susceptibly to several other diseases. Thus, it is crucial that our methods in dealing with infections focus on prevention. This can be achieved by strengthening our immune system, which is the primary line of defense against such diseases. Flavonoids can help boost our immunity, fight infections, and decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance.

Hence, these natural compounds are being largely studied and used as nutraceuticals to supplement our daily diet and successfully reduce the occurrence of major infectious diseases in our body.



Publication History

Article published online:
04 January 2023

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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