Article
Evaluation of Aqueous Nanoformulations of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate-Palmitate (EC16) Against Human Coronavirus as a Potential Intervention Drug
Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research
(2023)
Abstract
Background: Chronic neurologic diseases are common sequelae of COVID. They severely impact the quality of life and increase the burden on healthcare systems. The long COVID neurological symptoms are due to the robust replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the nasal neuroepithelial cells, leading to neuroinvasion, persistent infection, and inflammation of the central nerve system (CNS). Currently used medications and vaccines do not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in the nasal epithelial cells nor the persistent infection. EGCG-palmitate (EC16), a multifunctional compound, has the potential to become a novel intranasaldelivered drug for minimizing post-COVID neurologic symptoms. However, EC16 is a hydrophobic, water insoluble compound. Therefore, formulation strategies were explored as a first step to developing aqueous delivery forms of EC16.
Method: EC16-containing nanoformulations were developed and tested in vitro against human β coronavirus OC43 (CoV-OC43) using a TCID50 assay following three test protocols differing in exposure sequence.
Results: EC16 nanoformulations in normal saline, phosphate buffered saline, and cell culture medium were found to effectively inhibit human β-coronavirus infection (>99.99%) after a 30-min contact. A single 10- min application of a purified EGCG-mono-palmitate nanoformulation to cells after infection (i.e., without direct contact with the virus) resulted in >99% inhibition of viral replication.
Conclusion: With its antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, EC16 in nasal formulations could be further developed for clinical applications to COVID-19 patients to minimize long COVID neurological symptoms.
Keywords
- COVID-19,
- Long COVID,
- EC16,
- EGCG-Palmitate,
- Formulations
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 27, 2023
DOI
10.26717/BJSTR.2023.50.007892
Citation Information
Nicolette Frank, Douglas Dickinson, William Garcia, Lucee Xiao, et al.. "Evaluation of Aqueous Nanoformulations of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate-Palmitate (EC16) Against Human Coronavirus as a Potential Intervention Drug" Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research Vol. 50 Iss. 1 (2023) p. 41242 - 41253 ISSN: 2574-1241 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tin-chun_chu/53/
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