Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Jan;133:110974. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110974. Epub 2020 Nov 11.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a recently discovered coronavirus termed 'severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2' (SARS-CoV-2). Several scholars have tested antiviral drugs and compounds to overcome COVID-19. 'Kefir' is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt that is made from kefir grains. Kefir and its probiotic contents can modulate the immune system to suppress infections from viruses (e.g., Zika, hepatitis C, influenza, rotaviruses). The antiviral mechanisms of kefir involve enhancement of macrophage production, increasing phagocytosis, boosting production of cluster of differentiation-positive (CD4), CD8, immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA B cells, T cells, neutrophils, as well as cytokines (e.g., interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, interferon gamma-γ). Kefir can act as an anti-inflammatory agent by reducing expression of IL-6, IL-1, TNF-α, and interferon-γ. Hence, kefir might be a significant inhibitor of the 'cytokine storm' that contributes to COVID-19. Here, we review several studies with a particular emphasis on the effect of kefir consumption and their microbial composition against viral infection, as well as discussing the further development of kefir as a protective supplementary dietary against SARS-CoV-2 infection via modulating the immune response.
新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）是一种由一种新发现的冠状病毒引起的传染病，这种病毒被称为“严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2 型”（SARS-CoV-2）。许多学者已经测试了抗病毒药物和化合物，以克服 COVID-19。“开菲尔”是一种发酵乳饮料，类似于稀薄的酸奶，由开菲尔粒制成。开菲尔及其益生菌成分可以调节免疫系统，抑制病毒感染（如寨卡病毒、丙型肝炎病毒、流感病毒、轮状病毒）。开菲尔的抗病毒机制包括增强巨噬细胞的产生，增加吞噬作用，促进阳性（CD4）、CD8、免疫球蛋白（Ig）G 和 IgA B 细胞、T 细胞、嗜中性粒细胞以及细胞因子（如白细胞介素（IL）-2、IL-12、干扰素-γ）的产生。开菲尔可以通过降低白细胞介素（IL）-6、IL-1、肿瘤坏死因子-α和干扰素-γ的表达来充当抗炎剂。因此，开菲尔可能是导致 COVID-19 的“细胞因子风暴”的重要抑制剂。在这里，我们回顾了几项研究，特别强调了开菲尔的消费及其微生物组成对病毒感染的影响，并讨论了通过调节免疫反应，将开菲尔进一步开发为 SARS-CoV-2 感染的保护性补充饮食。
