Current Findings Regarding Natural Components With Potential Anti-2019-nCoV Activity

Abstract

COVID-19, a novel coronavirus pneumonia (named by the World Health Organization, WHO), has spread widely since the end of 2019. Research on synthetic drugs and vaccines has become a focus of attention in China and other countries, as such approaches are regarded as key tools for disease prevention and control; however, the development of these therapeutics will take months, or even years. Under such circumstances, development of coronavirus specific therapeutics is urgent. For this specific indication, the rapid performance of natural products, such as plant compounds, herbal extracts, and traditional Chinese medicine, could contribute as alternative measures. Recent investigations have provided evidence that these natural products are potential candidates for development as therapeutic agents against the virus that causes COVID-19, 2019-nCoV. Targeting the structural proteins or cellular receptors of 2019-nCoV, including coronavirus chymotrypsin-like (3CL pro or M pro), helicase (nsP13), S protein, and human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), holds promise for preventing infection. In this review, we summarize some representative natural products and their active components that have potential anti-2019-nCoV effects. We focus on the basic structural elements of 2019-nCoV, its main mechanisms of action, and the feasibility and potential of products to inhibit the novel coronavirus. In addition, the relative advantages, additional functions, and precautions that should be used with typical natural products are also discussed. The aim is to make the case that natural products could be a valuable pool for the development of active compounds for treating 2019-nCoV infection, which may contribute to mitigation of the spread of the pandemic.

Importance of glutamine 189 flexibility in SARS-CoV-2 main protease: Lesson learned from in silico virtual screening of ChEMBL database and molecular dynamics

“…Most if not all human beings were caught off guard without suitable defense mechanisms to cope or control such a pandemic. COVID-19, caused by that novel coronavirus species (SARS-CoV-2), has recently been identified and characterized ( Zhou and Huang, 2020 ). Coronaviruses are huge family of viruses that named for their crown-like spikes that found on their surface.…”

“…It is believed that the causative virus of the current pandemic infected humans through zoonotic transmission ( Saxena, 2020 ; Zimmermann and Curtis, 2020 ). Genetically, SARS-COV-2 is a positive-sense, single stranded RNA virus which encodes for two open reading frames ( Ceraolo and Giorgi, 2020 ; Zhou and Huang, 2020 ). These open reading frames are designated as 1A and 1B.…”

Can Echinacea be a potential candidate to target immunity, inflammation, and infection - The trinity of coronavirus disease 2019

“…In SARS-CoV infections, the use of antiviral drugs alone is insufficient for preventing the cytokine storm and related complications in critically ill patients because immune dysregulation in combination with hyperinflammatory conditions leads to complications, worsening the prognosis, rather than addressing viremia [ 36 ]. To reduce COVID-19-related complications and mortality, it is important to identify agents capable of attenuating the cytokine storm, as well as exerting antiviral effects [ 37 ]. In principle, immune responses and the resultant inflammatory process are important for the elimination of the infection; however, they may significantly impact pathogenesis and manifest the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 [ 35 ].…”

Natural and Nature-Derived Products Targeting Human Coronaviruses

“…It was found that NPs/SMs are a rich source of drug potential leads against coronaviruses due to their pronounced structural diversity and complexity. Several compilations of pre-2020 findings on NPs/SMs with activity against coronaviruses were recently reported, some of which could serve as leads for the development of new drugs [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ]. Among the identified molecules the majority is represented by NPs ( Figure 2 a) and most of them have been found as inhibitors of SARS-CoV ( Figure 2 b).…”