Carnitine and its Derivatives as a Potential Option for Cardiovascular, Neurologic and Metabolic Complications of COVID-19

As a multisystem disease, COVID-19 and its treatment demonstrate a wide variety of complications. Carnitine is a non-essential amino acid derivative that plays an essential role in the metabolism of fatty acids and alleviates inflammation and oxidative stress. We investigated the possible role of carnitine and its derivatives in COVID-19-induced fatigue, cardiovascular, neurological, and reproductive system complications. A thorough literature search was performed using the keywords and their synonym words including COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, SARS, MERS, Carnitine, and L-Carnitine. Non-English literature and conference abstracts were not included. Animal experiments were excluded unless supporting the basic evidence for carnitine efficacy. Oxidative stress and Inflammatory factors are vital in cellular injury pathways caused by COVID-19. Carnitine and SARS-Cov-2 followed common cytokine and stress oxidative-related cellular pathways. Carnitine may act as a protective antioxidant against SARS-Cov-2 infection by modulating proinflammatory cytokines. Considering the safety profile of carnitine, it may have promising clinical results in alleviating COVID-19 severity and its complications.