Less COVID-19 deaths in southern and insular Italy explained by forest bathing, Mediterranean environment, and antiviral plant volatile organic compounds
Less COVID-19 deaths in southern and insular Italy explained by forest bathing, Mediterranean environment, and antiviral plant volatile organic compounds(34 views) Roviello V, Roviello GN
Environ Chem Lett (ISSN: 1610-3653linking), 2021 Nov; N/D: 1-11.
Roviello V1, Roviello GN*2
* Giovanni N. Roviellogiroviel@unina.it; giovanni.roviello@cnr.it
1 Department of Chemical, Materials and IndustrialProduction Engineering (DICMaPI), University of NaplesFederico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy2 Istituto Di Biostrutture E Bioimmagini, IBB–CNR, ViaMezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
References: Aragaw TA (2020) Surgical face masks as a potential source for microplastic pollution in the COVID-19 scenario. Mar Pollut Bull
Bashir MF, Benjiang M, Shahzad L (2020a) A brief review of socioeconomic and environmental impact of Covid-19. Air Qual
Atmos Health 13(12):1403–1409. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Bashir MF, Ma BJ, Bilal KB, Bashir MA, Farooq TH, Iqbal N,
Bashir M (2020b) Correlation between environmental pollution indicators and COVID-19 pandemic: a brief study in Californian context. Environ Res 187:109652. https://doi.org/10.
Caterino M, Gelzo M, Sol S, Fedele R, Annunziata A, Calabrese C,
Fiorentino G, D’Abbraccio M, Dell’Isola C, Fusco FM (2021)
Dysregulation of lipid metabolism and pathological infammation in patients with COVID-19. Sci Rep 11(1):1–10. https://
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82426-7
Cena H, Chieppa M (2020) Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19–SARSCoV-2) and Nutrition: Is Infection in Italy Suggesting a Connection? Front Immunol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmmu.2020.
Chen N, Sun G, Yuan X, Hou J, Wu Q, Soromou LW, Feng H (2014)
Inhibition of lung infammatory responses by bornyl acetate is
correlated with regulation of myeloperoxidase activity. J Surg Res
Chen B, Jia P, Han J (2021) Role of indoor aerosols for COVID-19
viral transmission: a review. Environ Chem Lett. https://doi.org/
10.1007/s10311-020-01174-8
Chiang L-C, Ng LT, Chiang W, Chang M-Y, Lin C-C (2003) Immunomodulatory activities of favonoids, monoterpenoids, triterpenoids, iridoid glycosides and phenolic compounds of Plantago species. Planta Med 69(07):600–604. https://doi.org/10.
Conticini E, Frediani B, Caro D (2020) Can atmospheric pollution be
considered a co-factor in extremely high level of SARS-CoV-2
lethality in Northern Italy? Environ Pollut 261:114465. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114465
Costanzo M, De Giglio MA, Roviello GN (2020) SARS-CoV-2: recent
reports on antiviral therapies based on lopinavir/ritonavir, darunavir/umifenovir, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, favipiravir and
other drugs for the treatment of the new coronavirus. Curr Med
Grzędzicka E (2019) Is the existing urban greenery enough to cope
with current concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and CO2? Atmospheric Pollution Research 10(1):219–233. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.apr.2018.08.002
Hamlin MJ, Yule E, Elliot C, Stoner L, Kathiravel Y (2016) Longterm efectiveness of the New Zealand Green Prescription primary health care exercise initiative. Public Health 140:102–108.
Hansen MM, Jones R, Tocchini K (2017) Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: a state-of-the-art review. Int J Environ
Res Public Health 14(8):851. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph1408
He S, Han J, Lichtfouse E (2021) Backward transmission of COVID-19
from humans to animals may propagate reinfections and induce
vaccine failure. Environ Chem Lett 19(2):763–768. https://doi.
Jiang Y, Wu X-J, Guan Y-J (2020) Efect of ambient air pollutants and
meteorological variables on COVID-19 incidence. Infect Control
Roviello V, Roviello GN (2021) Lower COVID-19 mortality in Italian forested areas suggests immunoprotection by Mediterranean
plants. Environ Chem Lett 19(1):699–710. https://doi.org/10.
1007/s10311-020-01063-0
Saglietto A, D’Ascenzo F, Zoccai GB, De Ferrari GM (2020) COVID19 in Europe: the Italian lesson. Lancet 395(10230):1110–1111.
Sanna C, Rigano D, Cortis P, Corona A, Ballero M, Parolin C, Del
Vecchio C, Chianese G, Saccon E, Formisano C, Tramontano
E, Esposito F (2018) Onopordum illyricum L., a Mediterranean
plant, as a source of anti HIV-1 compounds. Plant Biosystems -
An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 152(6):1274–1281. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2018.
Setti L, Passarini F, De Gennaro G, Barbieri P, Perrone MG, Borelli
M, Palmisani J, Di Gilio A, Torboli V, Fontana F, Clemente L,
Pallavicini A, Ruscio M, Piscitelli P, Miani A (2020) SARS-Cov2RNA found on particulate matter of Bergamo in Northern Italy:
First Evidence. Environ Res. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.
Sgrigna G, Sæbø A, Gawronski S, Popek R, Calfapietra C (2015) Particulate matter deposition on Quercus ilex leaves in an industrial
city of central Italy. Environ Pollut 197:187–194. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.envpol.2014.11.030
Shehzad K, Xiaoxing L, Ahmad M, Majeed A, Tariq F, Wahab S
(2021) Does air pollution upsurge in megacities after Covid-19
lockdown? A spatial approach. Environ Res. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.envres.2021.111052Signorelli
Snene A, El Mokni R, Jmii H, Jlassi I, Jaïdane H, Falconieri D, Piras
A, Dhaouadi H, Porcedda S, Hammami S (2017) In vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities of the essential oil
and various extracts of wild (Daucus virgatus (Poir.) Maire) from
Tunisia. Ind Crops Prod 109:109–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Sun Q, Xu Q, Li X, Wang S, Wang C, Huang F, Gao Q, Wu L, Tao L,
Guo J, Wang W, Guo X (2016) Fine particulate air pollution and
hospital emergency room visits for respiratory disease in urban
areas in Beijing, China, in 2013. PLoS ONE 11(4):e0153099.
Susanne Becker JMS (1999) Exposure to urban air particulates alters
the macrophage-mediated infammatory response to respiratory
viral infection. J Toxicol Environ Health A 57(7):445–457. https://
doi.org/10.1080/009841099157539
Ufnalska S, Lichtfouse E (2021) Unanswered issues related to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Environ Chem Lett. https://doi.org/10.
1007/s10311-021-01249-0
Ulmer JM, Wolf KL, Backman DR, Tretheway RL, Blain CJ, O’NeilDunne JP, Frank LD (2016) Multiple health benefts of urban tree
canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription. Health
Place 42:54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.
Vicidomini C, Roviello V, Roviello GN (2021a) In silico investigation
on the interaction of chiral phytochemicals from opuntia fcusindica with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Symmetry 13(6):1041. https://
doi.org/10.3390/sym13061041
the Therapeutical Potential of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.)
and Clues to Its Anti-COVID-19 Utility. Molecules 26(7):1880.
Wang L, Li M, Yu S, Chen X, Li Z, Zhang Y, Jiang L, Xia Y, Li
J, Liu W (2020a) Unexpected rise of ozone in urban and rural
areas, and sulfur dioxide in rural areas during the coronavirus
city lockdown in Hangzhou, China: implications for air quality.
Environ Chem Lett 18(5):1713–1723. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Wang X, Sun S, Zhang B, Han J (2020b) Solar heating to inactivate
thermal-sensitive pathogenic microorganisms in vehicles: application to COVID-19. Environ Chem Lett 19(2):1765–1772. https://
doi.org/10.1007/s10311-020-01132-4
Worth H, Dethlefsen U (2012) Patients with asthma beneft from
concomitant therapy with cineole: a placebo-controlled. DoubleBlind Trial J Asthma 49(8):849–853. https://doi.org/10.3109/
02770903.2012.717657
Xie J, Teng J, Fan Y, Xie R, Shen A (2019) The short-term efects of
air pollutants on hospitalizations for respiratory disease in Hefei.
China Int J Biometeorol 63(3):315–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Xu H, Yan C, Fu Q, Xiao K, Yu Y, Han D, Wang W, Cheng J (2020)
Possible environmental efects on the spread of COVID-19 in
China. Sci Total Environ 731:139211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
scitotenv.2020.139211
Zhang X, Chen B, Jia P, Han J (2021) Locked on salt? Excessive consumption of high-sodium foods during COVID-19 presents an
underappreciated public health risk: a review. Environ Chem Lett.
Zhao Y, Meng X, Zeng Y, Wang C, Chen J, She Z (2021) Linalool
Inhibits MCF-7 Tumor Growth in a Xenograft Model by Apoptosis Induction and Immune Modulation. Nat Product Commun.
Zheng S, Fu Y, Sun Y, Zhang C, Wang Y, Lichtfouse E (2021) High
resolution mapping of nighttime light and air pollutants during
the COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan. Environ Chem Lett. https://
Zhu Y, Xie J, Huang F, Cao L (2020) Association between short-term
exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 infection: Evidence from
scitotenv.2020.138704
Less COVID-19 deaths in southern and insular Italy explained by forest bathing, Mediterranean environment, and antiviral plant volatile organic compounds
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is causing major sanitary and socioeconomic issues, yet some locations are less impacted than others. While densely populated areas are likely to favor viral transmission, we hypothesize that other environmental factors could explain lower cases in some areas. We studied COVID-19 impact and population statistics in highly forested Mediterranean Italian regions versus some northern regions where the amount of trees per capita is much lower. We also evaluated the affinity of Mediterranean plant-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) isoprene, α-pinene, linalool and limonene for COVID-19 protein targets by molecular docking modeling. Results show that while mean death number increased about 4 times from 2020 to 2021, the percentage of deaths per population (0.06–0.10%) was lower in the greener Mediterranean regions such as Sardinia, Calabria and Basilica versus northern regions with low forest coverage, such as Lombardy (0.33%) and Emilia Romagna (0.29%). Data also show that the pandemic severity cannot be explained solely by population density. Modeling reveals that plant organic compounds could bind and interfere with the complex formed by the receptor binding domain of the coronavirus spike protein with the human cell receptor. Overall, our findings are likely explained by sea proximity and mild climate, Mediterranean diet and the abundance of non-deciduous Mediterranean plants which emit immunomodulatory and antiviral compounds. Potential implications include ‘forest bathing’ as a therapeutic practice, designing nasal sprays containing plant volatile organic compounds, and preserving and increasing forest coverage.
Less COVID-19 deaths in southern and insular Italy explained by forest bathing, Mediterranean environment, and antiviral plant volatile organic compounds
No results.
Less COVID-19 deaths in southern and insular Italy explained by forest bathing, Mediterranean environment, and antiviral plant volatile organic compounds