Potential of Quinine Sulfate for COVID-19 Treatment and Its Safety Profile: Review

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently the largest and most serious health crisis in the world. There is no definitive treatment for COVID-19. Vaccine administration has begun in various countries, but no vaccine is 100% effective. Some people are not protected after vaccination, and there are some groups of people who cannot be vaccinated therefore, research on COVID-19 treatment still needs to be done. Of the several drugs under study, chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are quite controversial, although they have good activity against SARS-CoV-2, both drugs have serious side effects. Indonesia with its wealth of natural ingredients has one potential compound, quinine sulfate (QS), which has the same structure and activity as CQ and HCQ and a better safety profile. The aim of this article was to review the potential of QS against the SARS-Cov-2 virus and outline its safety profile. We conclude that QS has the potential to be developed as a COVID-19 treatment with a better safety profile than that of CQ and HCQ.

Quinine Esters with 1,2-Azole, Pyridine and Adamantane Fragments

“…Along with its antimalarial activity, quinine has been reported to possess antipyretic, antibacterial and antifungal properties [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Currently, quinine and its derivatives are considered as potential treatments for COVID-19 [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Taking into account the high potential activity, numerous studies are underway in the world aimed at searching for new drugs among quinine derivatives, including the esterification reaction of the C-9 hydroxyl group [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

“…Promising data on the antiviral activity of quinine from numerous literary sources [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 23 , 24 ] prompted us to study the antiviral properties of obtained derivatives. We also examined the analgesic and fungicidal activity of the target compounds.…”

The efficacy of herbal medicines on the length of stay and negative conversion time/rate outcomes in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review

“…In addition, herbal medicines have also become the focus of attention as an alternative treatment ( Demeke et al, 2021 ). Various medicinal plants have been investigated for their potential antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects assisting the treatment of COVID-19 ( Latarissa et al, 2021 ; Lim et al, 2021 ). The mechanism of herbal medicines for COVID-19 related to antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory is shown in Figure 5 .…”

Antiparasitic Drugs against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Literature Survey

“…Although there is in vitro evidence that Q restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection, neither clinical nor preclinical data have been reported so far [ 102 ]. Latarissa et al recently published a review on this topic [ 103 ]. Briefly, in silico studies indicate several possible MoA of Q, including the binding to the Lys353 residue in the peptide domain of the ACE2 [ 104 ], to the viral non-structural protein nsp12 [ 105 ], and to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease and the Spike glycoprotein ( Figure 2 ) [ 106 ].…”