Compounds From Mollusks as Potential Medicine for COVID-19 and Respiratory Diseases

(Photo : Liselle VD)

Breathing is part of every human's activity. Whenever we talk, we sleep, or we ponder into deep thoughts, we breathe air to live. Because of the respiratory system, oxygen and carbon dioxide take place which is essential for cell activity. That is why utmost care should be given to the lungs, nose, and other respiratory organs and parts to sustain and not impair its function.

However, with the current change the world is facing, diseases and pollution disturb the respiratory system making it challenging for them to function. The introduction of viruses and diseases that affect the respiratory system such as asthma, pulmonary diseases, and COVID-19, makes us a bit anxious and nervous because these diseases are usually complicated and a hassle to deal with.

ALSO READ: Asthma as a Trigger for Severity of COVID-19, Ruled Out by Science

Treatment for them is easily available but for the case of COVID-19, vaccines are almost ready to be administered - just waiting for the go signal from the authorities - which lessens the anxiety for some.

But did you know that traditionally, mollusks are used as a treatment for respiratory diseases? That is true because Southern Cross University researchers reviewed previous studies, using mollusks as a treatment for respiratory diseases, to help future researches be more relevant.

Why mollusks?

Drastic measures are being implemented to search for and discover safer medication from natural compounds. According to News Medical Life Sciences, mollusks - a species of animals comprised of squids, snails, and other marine life that usually has shells - are generally soft and are lacking in adaptive immune systems, which means they have antigen-specific cell-mediated protection methods. They added that many efforts have led results of the isolation of the primary and secondary metabolites with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunogenic properties.

The release further said that in Ancient Greece, they utilized boiled octopus flesh to help relieve nasal congestion. They added that Traditional Chinese Medicine uses 61 mollusks to treat respiratory ailments. They also mentioned that South America, Europe, and India, use mollusks to treat asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and bronchitis. The release also mentioned that the shell is usually crushed into a pill as a medicine followed by the flesh.

Review of the researches

According to the releases, the researchers have investigated the bioactivity of the compounds found in mollusks which are believed to be effective against respiratory diseases. The researchers also found 11 human clinical trials utilizing purified mollusk compounds as treatment for respiratory ailments.

The release also said that the researchers were able to observe antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa which causes chronic bacterial infections like COPD, using extracts from mollusks such as polyketides, tyriverdin, polypeptides. They also found out that cephalopods' extracts are effective against pneumonia. They also noted that mollusks are rich in Zinc which demonstrates its effectiveness in preventing virus replication in COVID-19 and flu. The release furthers that the researchers also emphasized the anti-inflammatory activity of mollusks' extracts.

Recommendations

According to the researchers, although a vast number of potential compounds can be provided by natural resources, they said that the economic feasibility of hauling out compounds in an ecologically viable manner can be a critical question. News Medical Life Sciences also noted that using traditional knowledge for commercial use can be legally challenged because many countries have precedented laws protecting them.

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