Low phenylalanine rich dietary regime as a plausible intervention towards COVID-19 management
By Anjan Barman
Presently, SARS-CoV-2 virus (cause of COVID-19) as an unprecedented challenge before mankind is direly pressing for much effective antidote. Here, I wish to forward a theoretical contemplation regarding dietary intervention as one plausible way to manage SARS-CoV-2 multiplication in vulnerable human cells. SARS-CoV-2 has several proteins that help to complete its life cycle in human. Protein sequences of six SARS-CoV-2 proteins namely Spike (S), Envelope (E), Membrane (M), Nucleoprotein (N), nsp12 & ORF10, analyzed in this study indicated phenylalanine composition in the range of 3.1%-10.5%, suggesting phenylalanine as an important constituent in them. It can be predicted that if phenylalanine abundance in the host cell’s amino acid pool is very low or is completely nil, translation of at least these six SARS-CoV-2 proteins may be affected negatively. This in turn might halt efficient viral multiplication within the infected host cells. The idea is following a temporary dietary regime comprising low phenylalanine rich foods (as advised to patients with phenylketonuria) may possibly have inhibitory affect on SARS-CoV-2 multiplication considering cellular amino acid pool would have significantly low phenylalanine abundance. Further, a recent opinion letter citing severity of COVID-19 in phenylketonuria patients could be lower due to some yet unknown reasons calls for a critical investigation.
#This paper https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00195.2020 is interesting
Attachment: Six_SARSCoV2_Proteins_with_amino_acid_composition.pdf (160 KB)
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