Biochemical rationale for dietary management of COVID-19 patients: Indian traditional millets as a promising integrative nutritional strategy.

backgroundCoronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), imposes a significant metabolic and nutritional burden on the human host. Viral replication requires synthesis of structural proteins (S, E, M, and N), which in turn depends on an adequate supply of amino acids. While the human body can synthesize all nucleotides, it cannot synthesize eight essential amino acids (EAAs), which must be derived from dietary intake or through catabolism of endogenous protein stores such as skeletal muscle and albumin. Despite numerous dietary advisories for COVID-19 patients, including those from international agencies, none are grounded in a biochemical analysis of viral amino acid requirements.

objectivesThis study aimed to determine the amino acid distribution of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins and to identify nutritionally optimal, economically accessible staple and widely consumed foods capable of counteracting the essential amino acid burden during COVID-19. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this computational study, the amino acid profiling of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins was performed using bioinformatics analysis of genomic sequences obtained from the GenBank database. The amino acid composition of commonly consumed foods was derived from the Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) 2017. Viral amino acid requirements were quantitatively compared with the amino acid profiles of cereals, millets, legumes, nuts, milk, and eggs to assess their suitability in meeting essential amino acid demands.

resultsSynthesis of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins required all 20 amino acids. Essential amino acids constituted 42.8% of the total amino acid requirement, with branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) accounting for approximately 23%. The nutritional load per virion ranged from 1.6% for methionine to 11.3% for leucine. Rice, wheat, maize, legumes, and even expensive nuts like almond, cashew nut, pistachio nuts and walnut were insufficient in meeting the most abundantly required EAAs. In contrast, millet-based diets, particularly combinations of pearl millet with sorghum or foxtail millet, showed superior amino acid complementarity. Cow milk closely matched overall EAA requirements, while foxtail millet supplemented with eggs provided an optimal mixed-diet option.

conclusionThis study provides a biochemical rationale for dietary management of COVID-19 and identifies Indian traditional millets as a nutritionally effective and integrative dietary strategy to mitigate essential amino acid burden during SARS-CoV-2 infection.