Antiviral effect and anti-COVID-19 potential of immunobiotics

Immunobiotics, a group of probiotics, have the effect of anti-infection by regulating immune function, which can be added in in foods or used to make adjuvants or medicines (biologics). Immunobiotics can stimulate the mucosal immune system of the body, regulate innate and acquired immunity and exert non-specific anti-microbial (bacterial and viral) infection effects through oral, nasal mucosa, sublingual and other routes, but the immune regulation function of immunobiotics is species-specific. Oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum GUANKE stimulated the increase and maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibodies in mice even 6 months after immunization. When L. plantarum GUANKE was given immediately after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, the level of SARS-COV-2 specific neutralizing antibody in bronchoalveolar lavage increased by 8 times in mice, which improved the local and systematic cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 of mice. Clinical studies have found that immunobiotics have the auxiliary effect in the treatment of COVID-19 by mitigating the symptoms and increase the level of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody of the patients. It is necessary to conduct research and evaluation for the appropriate guideline of immunobiotics use as erly as possible to provide a new option for the prevention and control of COVID-19.