Essential oils are volatile liquids extracted from plants or flowers through distillation, cold pressing, or steam extraction. They are used in perfumes, to add flavor to food and drinks, as natural cleaning products, and for massages and aromatherapy. They are often mixed with a fatty oil, called a carrier oil, to be applied to the skin or inhaled. Many people use essential oils for a variety of health reasons including relief from stress, fatigue, pain, anxiety, and respiratory infections. Although evidence is sparse, many anecdotes and “in vitro” studies suggest that essential oils can inhibit virulence in the coronavirus.
The virucidal properties of essential oils are the result of their lipophilicity, which allows them to penetrate and disrupt the viral membrane. This action is enhanced by the presence of other components in the oil, which may cause alterations to the virus genome or inhibit its replication. Additionally, many of the constituents in essential oils exhibit additional pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, immune modulation, mucolytic, and bronchodilatory activities.
Despite these promising results, well-planned in vivo and in vitro studies are necessary to establish safe doses of essential oil preparations and their effectiveness against COVID-19. Additionally, it is important to educate the public that inhaling essential oils or applying them topically is not a substitute for proper infection control practices, such as physical distancing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the popularity of essential oil products sold as treatments to alleviate symptoms associated with the virus, such as nasal congestion, cough, and aches and pains. This includes the popular vapor rub Vicks VapoRub, which contains eucalyptus oil along with camphor and menthol. Although the evidence supporting these uses is anecdotal, the belief that rubbing Vicks on feet or inhaling its vapors will ward off infection is not harmless because it can distract from the importance of distancing oneself from infected individuals.
A number of companies selling essential oils have promoted their anti-viral properties through social media and websites. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to several companies that make claims about their products being safe or effective against COVID-19.
These companies are based in India and sell a wide range of products, from eucalyptus to lavender, through online shopping portals. In some cases, these companies have also claimed that their essential oils are safe for human consumption and can be used as a preventative measure against COVID-19.
While these claims are unsubstantiated, some of the eucalyptus products have been shown to be effective against the influenza virus. A combination of eucalyptus and other essential oils has been shown to reduce viral load and symptoms of influenza A in patients with acute respiratory illness.
A recent study screened 171 essential oil components for their binding potencies to the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protein and other viral proteins using molecular docking. Three of the tested compounds, (E)-a-farnesene, (E)-nerolidol, and nerolidol, exhibited the highest binding affinities to the Mpro protein, suggesting that they could have potential as novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors.
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