@article{
author = "Đukić, Ivana and Kaličanin, Nevena and Senćanski, Milan and Pajović, Snežana B. and Milićević, Jelena and Prljić, Jelena and Paessler, Slobodan and Prodanović, Radivoje and Glišić, Sanja",
year = "2023",
abstract = "Drug resistance is a critical problem in health care that affects therapy outcomes and requires new approaches to drug
design. SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutations are of concern as they can potentially reduce therapeutic efficacy. Viral infections are amongst the
many disorders for which nutraceuticals have been employed as an adjunct therapy. The aim of this study was to examine the potential
in vitro activity of L-arginine and vitamin C against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Methods: The Mpro inhibition assay was developed by cloning,
expression, purification, and characterization of Mpro. Selected compounds were then screened for protease inhibition. Results: Larginine
was found to be active against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, while a vitamin C/L-arginine combination had a synergistic antiviral action
against Mpro. These findings confirm the results of our previous in silico repurposing study that showed L-arginine and vitamin C were
potential Mpro inhibitors. Moreover, they suggest a possible molecular mechanism to explain the beneficial effect of arginine in COVID
patients. Conclusions: The findings of the current study are important because they help to identify COVID-19 treatments that are
efficient, inexpensive, and have a favorable safety profile. The results of this study also suggest a possible adjuvant nutritional strategy
for COVID-19 that could be used in conjunction with pharmacological agents.",
publisher = "IMR Press",
journal = "Frontiers in Bioscience Landmark",
title = "Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with Vitamin C, L-Arginine and a Vitamin C/L-Arginine Combination",
volume = "28",
number = "1",
pages = "8",
doi = "10.31083/j.fbl2801008"
}