Potential Roles of Modified Pectin Targeting Galectin-3 against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2

Frederick Odun-Ayo and Lalini Reddy
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Frederick Odun-Ayo: Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, District Six Campus, Cape Town 7530, South Africa
Lalini Reddy: Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, District Six Campus, Cape Town 7530, South Africa

J, 2021, vol. 4, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Modified pectin (MP) is a bioactive complex polysaccharide that is broken down into smaller fragments of units and used as an oral dietary supplement for cell proliferation. MP is safe and non-toxic with promising therapeutic properties with regard to targeting galectin-3 (GAL-3) toward the prevention and inhibition of viral infections through the modulation of the immune response and anti-inflammatory cytokine effects. This effect of MP as a GAL-3 antagonism, which has shown benefits in preclinical and clinical models, may be of relevance to the progression of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. The outbreak of emerging infectious diseases continues to pose a threat to human health. Further to the circulation of multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, an effective and alternative therapeutic approach to combat it has become pertinent. The use of MP as a GAL-3 inhibitor could serve as an antiviral agent blocking against the SARS-CoV-2-binding spike protein. This review highlights the potential effects of MP in viral infections, its proposed role as a GAL-3 inhibitor, and the associated function concerning a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: modified pectin; galectin-3; SARS-CoV-2; polysaccharide; COVID-19; inflammation; immune response (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 I10 I12 I13 I14 I18 I19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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