Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Cyclopropenylidene carbene Ligands in palladium c-n coupling catalysis

Palladium complexes supported by a 2,3-diphenylcyclopropenylidene carbene ligand are efficient and robust catalysts for C−N coupling reactions

An alternative gas-phase electron diffraction and quantum chemical study of nitroethane

Shishkov IF, Sipachev VA, Dem'yanov PI, et al. An alternative gas-phase electron diffraction and quantum chemical study of nitroethane. Journal of Molecular Structure. 2010;978(1-3):41-47.The results of alternative gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) study of nitroethane are compared with those reported in the previous study by Tarasov et al. [1]. A fairly large reliability factor (R = 6.1%) obtained in that work, even though the intensity data over the range s > 27 Å-1 were excluded from the analysis, was one of the reasons for undertaking this investigation. Our structural analysis was performed with electron diffraction patterns used by Tarasov et al. In this work, various quantum chemical models were used as initial approximations, and two sets of GED data equally well fitted to theory were obtained. For the experimental intensity curve in the range of s = 3.8-32.6 Å-1, the disagreement between the theoretical and experimental data reached R = 4.3%. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) were used to reveal the reasons of a low barrier to rotation of nitro group

Molecular structure and conformation of nitrobenzene reinvestigated by combined analysis of gas-phase electron diffraction, rotational constants, and theoretical calculations

Dorofeeva OV, Vishnevskiy YV, Vogt N, et al. Molecular structure and conformation of nitrobenzene reinvestigated by combined analysis of gas-phase electron diffraction, rotational constants, and theoretical calculations. Structural Chemistry. 2007;18(6):739-753