Biobran/MGN-3, an Arabinoxylan Rice Bran, Exerts Anti-COVID-19 Effects and Boosts Immunity in Human Subjects

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 6; p. 881
• Main Authors: Agrawal, Sudhanshu, Agrawal, Anshu, Ghoneum, Mamdooh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.03.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Antibodies; Antiviral agents; Antiviral drugs; arabinoxylan; B cells; BCG; BCG vaccines; Blood & organ donations; chemokines; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 infection; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Cytotoxicity; Dendritic cells; Dietary supplements; elderly; Functional foods; Histocompatibility antigens; HLA histocompatibility antigens; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity (Disease); immunomodulators; immunophenotyping; Immunotherapy; Infections; Influenza; irradiation; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lymphocytes; Middle Aged; Natural products; Oryza - metabolism; pandemic; Patients; rice bran; secretion; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Stains & staining; T cells; T-lymphocytes; Viral infections; Viruses; Xylans; California; United States > US; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; IFN-α; monocytes; SARS-CoV-2; DCs; Biobran/MGN-3; anti-COVID-19; CD8 T cells
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16060881

Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) has been a major pandemic impacting a huge population worldwide, and it continues to present serious health threats, necessitating the development of novel protective nutraceuticals. Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan rice bran, is a potent immunomodulator for both humans and animals that has recently been demonstrated to protect against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro. We here investigate Biobran/MGN-3′s potential to enhance an antiviral immune response in humans. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from eight subjects taking Biobran/MGN-3 (age 55–65 years) and eight age-matched control subjects were stimulated with irradiated SARS-CoV-2 virus and then subjected to immuno-phenotyping and multiplex cytokine/chemokine assays. Results showed that PBMCs from subjects supplemented with Biobran/MGN-3 had significantly increased activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) coupled with increased IFN-α secretion. We also observed higher baseline expression of HLA-DR (human leukocyte antigen-DR isotype) on dendritic cells (DCs) and increased secretion of chemokines and cytokines, as well as a substantial increase in cytotoxic T cell generation for subjects taking Biobran/MGN-3. Our results suggest that Biobran/MGN-3 primes immunity and therefore may be used for boosting immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 infections and other diseases, particularly in high-risk populations such as the elderly.