Can alpha-linolenic acid be a modulator of “cytokine storm,” oxidative stress and immune response in SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Abstract

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated essential fatty acid of the Ω3 series found mainly in vegetables, especially in the fatty part of oilseeds, dried fruit, berries, and legumes. It is very popular for its preventive use in several diseases: It seems to reduce the risk of the onset or decrease some phenomena related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and conditions of dysregulation of the immune response. Recent studies have confirmed these unhealthy situations also in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Different findings (in vitro, in vivo, and clinical ones), summarized and analyzed in this review, have showed an important role of ALA in other various non-COVID physiological and pathological situations against “cytokines storm,” chemokines secretion, oxidative stress, and dysregulation of immune cells that are also involved in the infection of the 2019 novel coronavirus. According to the effects of ALA against all the aforementioned situations (also present in patients with a severe clinical picture of severe acute respiratory syndrome-(CoV-2) infection), there may be the biologic plausibility of a prophylactic effect of this compound against COVID-19 symptoms and fatality.