A common household item such as red wine could hold the key element to a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus. In the past, resveratrol was demonstrated to decrease the production of nitric oxide in tissue, and thereby reduce inflammation.
Professor Ettore Novellino of the Department of Pharmacy from the Federico II University of Naples is developing a testing protocol against Covid-19 based on resveratrol findings.
In 2018, Professor Novellino created pills containing a substance called Taurasolo that were made with Resveratrol, and extracted from the pomace of grapes used in the production of Taurasi. This substance was used due to its beneficial effects of resveratrol on the cardiovascular system.
Research foresees the early administration of Taurasolo in the form of an aerosol to confirmed cases of coronavirus, involving the Monaldi hospital in Naples, where the Director of the Department of Pneumology, Prof. Alessandro Sanduzzi Zamparelli, has already used the protocol on patients with Tbc bacilliferi. Results are promising, especially in terms of controlling the inflammatory phase of the virus, and they are now awaiting the green light from the Italian Medicines Agency.
Please keep in mind that though these findings are interested, they are in no way directly related to wine we drink with our meals and these studies do not show any signs of “household cures” to this very serious virus.
These studies on resveratrol are by no means a cure to the novel coronavirus, which has so far taken the lives of far too many, but they do shed light in terms of research. All we can do now is patiently wait and leave the hard work to our courageous doctors, nurses, scientists and researchers.
In the meantime, if nothing else, a glass of red wine is always good for the soul.
