Potentials of plant-based substance to inhabit and probable cure for the COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 has been the most devastating pandemic in human history. Despite the highest scientific efforts and investments, a reliable and certified medication has yet to be developed regarding to immune or cure this virus. However, while synthetic medications are gaining the focus of attentions, it appears from a significant number of recent studies that plant-based substances could also be potential candidates for developing effective and secure remedies against this novel disease. Citing such recent works, this review primarily demonstrates the antiviral potentials of medicinal plants for inhibiting human coronaviruses. It also shows the importance of antiviral plants substances, particularly in the development of a broad spectrum medication for coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID 19; HCoV-229E; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV; antiviral plants; coronaviruses; emodin; lycorine.

Figure 1

Illustration of the minimal composition of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Wink, 2020).

Figure 2

(A) Replication cycle of human coronavirus; (B) host cell receptor and viral protein (S-protein) binding and membrane fusion mechanism (Jiang et al., 2020).

Figure 3

Classification of phytochemicals used as antiviral agents (Ghildiyal et al., 2020).

Figure 4

Percentage of the tested experimental drugs registered in China for 2019-nCoV therapy (Zhang et al., 2020a).