Hydroxytyrosol extracted from olive leaves and fruits, shows high effectivity against SARS-CoV-2 virus in in vitro cell models and human subjects.
As we already know, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although right now the cumulative incidence is decreasing in most of the world, there are still many people who develop a serious illness and end up dying. All this has led to the search for new treatments that reduce virulence and increase the defenses of the patients. In the last years, it has been demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol has broad-spectrum antiviral activity, especially against enveloped viruses, like the influenza virus, HIV, and coronaviruses.
Recently, a collaborative work between researchers from Cyprus, Italy, Turkey, and the USA, has demonstrated the effectiveness of two natural compounds, alpha-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol against the SAR-Cov2 virus. For in vitro experiments they used epithelial cells isolated from the colon (Caco2) and human fibroblast cell lines. For study in humans, the treatment group consisted of 149 healthy volunteers in Northern Cyprus, considered at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population. The volunteers used nasal spray containing α-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol for 4 weeks. Overall, the in vitro and clinical studies showed that both α-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol improve defenses against SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduce the synthesis of viral particles. The spray seemed to protect healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 patients against contagion.
Article: In vitro and clinical studies on the efficacy of α-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol against SARS-CoV-2 infection. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34890038/