COVID-19 and its causative organism SARS-CoV-2 paralyzed the world and was designated a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. The worldwide health system is trying to discover an effective therapeutic measure since no clinically authorized medications are present. Screening of plant-derived pharmaceuticals may be a viable technique to fight COVID-19 in this vital situation. This review discusses the potential application of in silico approaches in developing new therapeutic molecules related to preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, it describes the binding affinity of various phytoconstituents with distinct SARS-CoV-2 target sites. In this perspective, an extensive literature survey was carried out to find the potential phytoconstituents to develop new therapeutic entities to treat COVID-19 in different online academic databases and books. Data retrieved from databases were analyzed and interpreted to conclude that many phytochemicals will bind with the 3-chymotrypsin-like (3CLpro) and papain-like proteases (PL
pro
), spike glycoprotein, ACE-2, NSP15-endoribonuclease, and E protein targets of SARS-CoV-2 main protease using in silico molecular docking approach. The present investigations reveal that phytoconstituents such as curcumin, apigenin, chrysophanol, and gingerol are significantly binding with spike glycoprotein; laurolistine, acetoside, etc. are bound with M
pro
for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies. Using virtual applications of in silico studies, the current study constitutes a progressive data analysis on the mechanism of binding efficiency of distinct classes of plant metabolites against the active sites of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the current review also demonstrates the fundamental necessity of the alternative and complementary medicine for future therapeutic uses of phytoconstituents by phytochemists in the fight against COVID-19.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with traditional chemotherapy treatments causing significant side effects. Short synthetic peptides have emerged as a potential alternative due to their unique properties, including selectivity, stability and biocompatibility. Recent research has shown that short peptides can act as effective anticancer agents through their ability to inhibit the COX-2 (Cyclooxegenase-2) enzyme, a key enzyme involved in tumor growth and progression. In particular, short peptides have demonstrated promising results in targeting the tumor microenvironment, disrupting angiogenesis, and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. This review summarizes the current literature on short peptides as anticancer agents, including their mechanisms of action and future directions for research and development. The results suggest that short peptides hold significant potential as a new class of anticancer agents and warrant further investigation.
SARS-CoV-2 has affected socio-economic activity in every country around the world since its outbreak began in 2019. 3.5 million people have died worldwide as of now, including 3.2 lakh in India. The cytokine storm significantly contributes to COVID mortality. To put it simply, the virus causes an uncontrolled release of cytokines, which results in severe inflammation, multi-organ failure, and death. Vitamin D was discovered to be a significant risk factor for cytokine storm in COVID patients. Numerous studies have demonstrated that those with deficient serum vitamin D levels have a significant mortality rate. The current understanding of the role of vitamin D in immune modulation in the innate and adaptive immune systems and how this may relate to COVID-19 is discussed in this article. Additionally, we evaluated the most recent clinical information about vitamin D deficiency, cytokine storm, and COVID-19 mortality.
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