The reemergence of coronavirus prompts the need for the development of effective therapeutics to prevent the cellular entry and replication of coronavirus. This study demonstrated the putative inhibitory potential of lopinavir, remdesivir, oseltamir, azithromycin, ribavirin, and chloroquine towards V-ATPase, protein kinase A, SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex and viral proteases. The pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties were predicted through the pkCSM server while the corresponding binding affinity of the selected drugs towards the proteins was computed using AutodockVina Screening tool. The ADMET properties revealed all the drugs possess drug-like properties. Lopinavir has the highest binding affinities to the pocket site of SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ ACE-2 complex, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A and 3-Chymotrypsin like protease while redemsivir has the highest binding affinities for vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) and papain-like proteins. The amino acids Asp269, Leu370, His374, and His345 were predicted as the key residues for lopinavir binding to human SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex while His378, Tyr515, Leu73, Leu100, Phe32 and Phe40 for remdesivir and Tyr510, Phe504, Met62, Tyr50, and His378 were predicted for azithromycin as the key residues for binding to SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex. Moreover, it was also observed that chloroquine has appreciable binding affinities for 3-Chymotrpsin-like protease and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A when compared to Oseltamivir and ribavirin. The study provided evidence suggesting putative repurposing of the selected drugs for the development of valuable drugs for the prevention of cellular entry and replication of coronavirus. ARTICLE HISTORY

Medicinal plants have been known to provide the essential raw material for the majority of antiviral drugs. This study demonstrated the putative inhibitory potential of curcumin, allicin, and gingerol towards cathepsin K, COVID-19 main protease, and SARS-CoV 3 C-like protease. The pharmacokinetic properties were predicted through the SwissADME server while the corresponding binding affinity of the selected phytocompounds towards the proteins was computed using PyRx-Python Prescription 0.8 and the binding free energy were computed based on conventional molecular dynamics using LARMD server. The ADMET properties revealed all the drugs possess drug-like properties. Curcumin has the highest binding affinities with all the selected proteases while allicin has the lowest binding affinities towards the proteases. Moreover, it was observed that curcumin exhibited the highest binding free energy of À17.90 ± 0.23, À18.21 ± 0.25, and À9.67 ± 0.08 kcal/mol for Cathepsin K, COVID-19 main protease, and SARS-CoV 3 C-like protease, respectively. Based on the activities of the phytocompounds against coronavirus target proteases involved in the viral entry as evident from the results, the study, therefore, suggests that these phytocompounds could be valuable for the development of drugs useful for the prevention of coronavirus entry and replication.

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is increasing with an alarming rate of associated frightening mortality without no known approved therapy. The emergence of new infectious diseases and increase in frequency of drug resistant viruses demand effective and novel therapeutic agents. This study investigated the putative inhibitory potentials of apigenin, fisetin, kolaflavanone, and remdesivir towards SARS-COV2 major protease (6LU7) using in silico methods. Pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and toxicological profiles of the compounds were also examined using the pkCSM server. All the compounds showed good affinity to the binding pocket of 6LU7. It was observed that kolaflavanone exhibited the highest binding affinity when compared to apigenin, fisetin, and remdesivir. The amino acids ASN238, TYR237, LEU286, and LEU287 were showed as the key residues for kolaflavanone binding to human SARS-COV2 major protease. The Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics results suggested that all the tested compounds have significant drug likeness properties and they could be absorbed through the human intestine. Additionally, all the tested compounds except remdesivir are not hepatoxic and also displayed non or relatively low toxic effects in human. Summarily, the results of this study indicated that all the tested compounds are potential putative inhibitors of SARS-COV2 major protease with no or low toxicity effects. However, further experimental and clinical studies are needed to further explore their activities and validate their efficacies against COVID-19.

The present study examined the effect of different cooking times on total phenolics, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid content and antioxidant properties of seven tropical leafy vegetables: Pterocarpus mildbraedii, Gongronema latifolium, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanecio biafrae, Piper guineense, Celosia argentea and Solanum melongena. The thermal treatments employed were both long simmer (20 minutes at 80 o C) and short simmer (5 minutes at 80 o C). The result show that both short and long simmer results to a significant decrease (P< 0.05) in the ascorbic acid content in all the vegetables. There was a significant increase in the total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPH radical scavenging ability, reducing property, Fe 2+ chelating ability and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. In like manner, short simmer treatment enhances the total antioxidant activities of all the vegetables. These results suggest that although thermal treatments enhances the nutritional value of vegetables by increasing the bio -accessible phenolic content and total antioxidant activity, long simmer treatment results in the disruption of the phytochemicals constituents present. The study therefore concludes that short time simmer treatment may result to optimum yield of antioxidant activities in leafy vegetables.

This study sought to evaluate the potential antioxidative potencies of Chromolaena odorata and Ageratum conyzoides,  commonly used herbs in Nigeria for wound first aid and healing. The antioxidant potentials were evaluated by measuring their abilities to scavenge radicals, reduce oxidised iron and quench the formation of lipid peroxides. The findings showed that the extract of Ageratum conyzoides exhibited significantly higher (p<0.05) antioxidant potential than the extract of Chromolaena odorata. The study, therefore, suggests that Ageratum conyzoides has higher potential for therapeutic value than Chromolaena odorata in terms of antioxidant potential.

Background: Bioactivities of plant-based compounds had been shown to be influenced by properties of the extracting solvents. This study investigated the influence of ethanolic extract of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich on the haematological and biochemical parameters in apparently healthy Wistar Rats using solvent partitioning. Methods: The procedures involved partitioning of ethanolic extract of X. aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich into n-hexane and aqueous fractions, chosen based on their differences in polarities and dielectric constants. The samples were administered at doses of 100 mg/kg body weight and 200 mg/kg body weight orally once per day for a period of fourteen (14) days to apparently healthy male Wistar rats that had been randomly selected into seven (7) groups. Haematological parameters and plasma biochemical indices were determined using standard protocols after the rats were sacrificed on the 15th day. Results: The results showed that the levels of haematocrit and related parameters in all the groups that received the extract when compared to the control increased significantly (p < 0.05). Additionally, no detrimental effect was observed on the levels of endogenous antioxidants, liver and kidney function indices in the rats compared to the control. Conclusion: In summary, on the basis of these findings, this study suggests that the extracts may be capable to alleviate the pathologies that are associated with haematological disorders through improvement of endogenous antioxidant status. The study proposes further evaluation on the molecular mechanism of bioactive components of X. aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich as agents that can prevents anaemia.

These in vitro studies investigated the comparative antiglycemic properties and molecular docking of the methanolic extracts of dried leaves of Ageratum conyzoides L. and Phyllanthus amarus L. in an attempt to explore natural products that could be useful in preventing secondary complications that could arise from hyperglycaemia. The methanolic crude extracts of dried leaves of A. conyzoides (CEA) and P. amarus (CEP) were partitioned into n-butanol and aqueous extracts and glycation inhibitory potentials were investigated. The result reveals that CEA and CEP exhibited highest glycemic inhibitory potential on the activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and sucrase investigated. The molecular docking was done on reported identified compounds in A. conyzoides and P. amarus with α-amylase (1SMD), sucrase-isomaltase (3LPO) and α-glucosidase (3WY1). Methanol crude extracts exhibited the highest inhibitory effect with the lowest IC 50 values

The mechanisms of inflammation mediated by metabolites of lipoxygenase and nitric oxide play essential roles in physiological immune response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity of methanolic extract of dried leaf of Cassia alata (Linn.) Roxb. as well as its effect on in vitro accumulation of nitric oxide (NO). The LOX inhibitory activity was evaluated for its ability to inhibit lipoxygenase (soyLOX) by absorbance-based assay using linoleic acid as the substrate while the influence of the extract on accumulation of NO was monitored spectrophotometrically by Griess assay method. Moreover, gas chromatographic analysis was carried out on the ether extract to identify and quantify the volatile compounds in the extract. The study showed effective soyLOX inhibitory activity correlating with the NO depletion in a concentrationdependent manner. The gas chromatographic identification of the volatile compounds in the extract showed the presence of stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. This study revealed the methanolic extract of the leaf of C. alata (Linn.) Roxb. as potent inhibitor of both soyLOX and nitric oxide generation. Thus, these results give indications regarding therapeutic interest of C. alata (Linn.) Robx. as a potential antiinflammatory agent.