A pharmacology‐based comprehensive review on medicinal plants and phytoactive constituents possibly effective in the management of COVID‐19

Abstract

Arisen in China, COVID‐19 (SARS‐CoV‐II) is a novel coronavirus that has been expanding fast worldwide. Till now, no definite remedial drug or vaccine has been identified for COVID‐19 treatment. Still, for a majority of infected patients, supportive therapy is the cornerstone of the management plan. To the importance of managing the COVID‐19 pandemic, this article proposed to collecting capable medicinal plants and bioactive components in both treat and supportive therapy of this novel viral infection. Clinical points in the pathogenesis, symptoms, and complications of COVID‐19 were considered. The effective plants and bioactives that may play a role in supportive therapy/management of COVID‐19 were searched, collected through the “Scopus” database and listed in three sections. Numerous medicinal plants such as Citrus Spp., Camellia sinensis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra can interference with COVID‐19 pathogenesis via inhibition of virus replication and entry to its host cells. Also, some anti‐inflammatory herbal medicine such as Andrographis paniculata, Citrus spp., and Cuminum cyminum can relieve fever and cough in COVID‐19 patients. Medicinal plants such as G. glabra, Thymus vulgaris, Allium sativum, Althea officinalis, and Panax ginseng may modulate the immune system and possess prevention and supportive therapy. However, more clinical data are required to confirm these hypotheses.

Safety Review of Herbs and Supplements in Heart Disease, Diabetes, and COVID-19

“…COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by the virus named "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2) [8]. COVID-19 is a novel disease officially declared as a pandemic on March 11th, 2020 [9,10]. SARS-CoV-2 has infected 98.2 million people worldwide and caused 2.1 million deaths as of January 24th, 2021 [11].…”

“…SARS-CoV-2 has infected 98.2 million people worldwide and caused 2.1 million deaths as of January 24th, 2021 [11]. COVID-19 is characterized by dry cough, fever, and fatigue symptoms in adults while in children rhinorrhea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are also present [10]. SARS-CoV-2 binds directly to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for subsequent entry into cells [10,12].…”

“…COVID-19 is characterized by dry cough, fever, and fatigue symptoms in adults while in children rhinorrhea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are also present [10]. SARS-CoV-2 binds directly to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for subsequent entry into cells [10,12]. Infected cells respond to the virus by generating pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that sometimes lead to a cytokine storm which aggravates the disease [10,12,13].…”

“…SARS-CoV-2 binds directly to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for subsequent entry into cells [10,12]. Infected cells respond to the virus by generating pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that sometimes lead to a cytokine storm which aggravates the disease [10,12,13]. Those with certain underlying health conditions such as respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes as well as older individuals seem to be at a higher risk for developing severe complications from the infection [14,15].…”

“…Frequently recommended by herbalists, licorice has recently shown to be the herb most frequently used for COVID-19 treatment [41,42]. Several review articles have discussed the potential effectiveness of licorice in treating COVID-19 for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and expectorant effects [9,10,[12][13][14]. Some in vitro studies showed that the active component glycyrrhizin inhibits the replication of SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) [43,44].…”