SHARING THE POWER OF ESSENTIAL OILS

What are coronoviruses?

Coronoviruses are a group of viruses that have been around for many years. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. Covid -19 is transmitted via respiratory droplets and once inside the body the virus binds to host receptors and enters the host cell through endocytosis or membrane fusion.SARS- CoV-2 uses a host receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 to cross into the cell membrane. These receptors are found in our cells in the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are natural plant substances that have been used medicinally for centuries. They are complex mixtures of lipophilic and volatile terpene compounds found in aromatic plants. It is due to this lipophillic nature that they can penetrate viral membranes and cause membrane disruption.

How do essential oils work on viruses?

They penetrate the viral cell membrane and cause membrane disruption they inhibit viral attachment (by inhibition of ACE-2) and replication (by inhibition of Mpro).

They suppress the cytokine storm effect of alveolar inflammation as well as inhibit the macrophages' recruitment to the damaged cells. Essential oils have potent pharmacological effects including antihistamines and antioxidants and are believed to be safe and synergistic with most other medicines (Leigh-De Rapper 2020).

They also help to provide the host with some relief from respiratory symptoms including bronchodilation and mucus lysis (Asif et al 2020).

Inhibition of Mpro in preventing viral maturation and potentiating host immune response

Which essential oils have antiviral properties?

9 studies were critiqued.

Essential oil monoterpenes of citronellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool and neryl acetate most effective

Geranium and lemon essential oils and their major components citronellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool and neryl acetate down regulate ACE2 receptor activity in virus host epithelial cells (Kumar et al 2020).

Eucalyptus and corymbia essential oils can be used as effective inhibitors of covid-19 as well as for the treatment of it. Panikar et al (2020) 

Melaleuca cajuputi oil is a valuable natural pharmaceutical source that can inhibit the ACE2 protein as well as attacking the hosts protein, My et al (2020)

Thuy et al (2020) concluded that the entire garlic essential oil is appropriate for the prevention and treatment of pneumonia caused by SARS-Co-V-2 and that the entire essential oil can be used in the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

References:

Asif, M., Saleem, M., Saadullah, M. et al. (2020) COVID-19 and therapy with essential oils having antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Inflammopharmacol 28, 1153–1161. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-020-00744-0

Da Silva J K R, Figueiredo P L B, Byler K G and Setzer W N (2020) Essential Oils as Antiviral Agents, Potential of Essential oils to treat SARS-CoV-2 Infection: An In-Silico Investigation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 21, 3426. Available from: https://doi:10.3390/ijms21103426

Kumar et al (2020) Geranium and Lemon Essential oils and Their Active compounds Downregulate Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain, in Epithelial Cells. Plants, 9, 770. Accessed from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants9060770.

Panikar, S., Shoba G., Arun, M., Sahayarayan, j.j., Nanthini, A. U. R., Chinnathambi, A., Alharbi S. A., Nasif, O., Kin. H.J. (2020) Essential oils as an effective alternative for the treatment of COVID-19: molecular interaction analysis of protease 9Mpro) with pharmacokinetics and toxicological properties. Journal of Infection and Public Health. 14. 601-610. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.12.037

Thuy, B. T. et al (2020) Investigation into SARS-CoV-2 resistance of Compounds in Garlic Essential oil. ACS Omega, 5, 8312-8320. Accessed from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c00772

Wani et al (2020) An updated and comprehensive review of the antiviral potential of essential oils and their chemical constituents with special focus on their mechanism of action against various influence and coronaviruses. Microbial Pathogenesis, Elsevier. 152. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104620