Role of Probiotics in the Management of COVID-19: A Computational Perspective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, causing millions of deaths worldwide. Millions of vaccine doses have been administered worldwide; however, outbreaks continue. Probiotics are known to restore a stable gut microbiota by regulating innate and adaptive immunity within the gut, demonstrating the possibility that they may be used to combat COVID-19 because of several pieces of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 has an adverse impact on gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, probiotics and their metabolites with known antiviral properties may be used as an adjunctive treatment to combat COVID-19. Several clinical trials have revealed the efficacy of probiotics and their metabolites in treating patients with SARS-CoV-2. However, its molecular mechanism has not been unraveled. The availability of abundant data resources and computational methods has significantly changed research finding molecular insights between probiotics and COVID-19. This review highlights computational approaches involving microbiome-based approaches and ensemble-driven docking approaches, as well as a case study proving the effects of probiotic metabolites on SARS-CoV-2.

Automated summary

This article discusses the possibility of using probiotics and their metabolites as adjunctive treatment for COVID-19. By regulating the gut microbiota, probiotics can restore a stable gut environment and combat the adverse effects of COVID-19. Clinical trials have shown the efficacy of probiotics and their metabolites in treating SARS-CoV-2, but their molecular mechanism has not been fully understood.