The Efficacy of Herbs as Complementary and Alternative Therapy in Recovery and Clinical Outcome Among People with COVID-19: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic continues, and this condition has caused many cases in various countries around the world, resulting in more than 6 million deaths worldwide. Herbal medicines can act as immunomodulators, anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, antimicrobials, and others depending on the type and content of the herbs used. Previous studies have shown that several types of herbs, such as Echinacea purpurea, Curcumin or Turmeric, Nigella sativa, and Zingiber officinale , have proven their effectiveness as herbal plants for COVID-19. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature search through five databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Wiley, and ProQuest to assess the efficacy of phytopharmaceuticals until July 12, 2022. We used the Cochrane RoB 2.0 for the quality assessment of the study. Results Phytopharmaceuticals significantly improved patients’ recovery rate (OR = 3.54; p < 0.00001) and reduced deaths (OR = 0.24; p < 0.0001) compared to the control group. Phytopharmaceuticals also performed as a protective factor for COVID-19 clinical symptoms, such as dyspnea (OR = 0.42; p < 0.05) and myalgia (OR = 0.31; p = 0.02) compared to the control group. However, there is no statistically significant effect on cough (OR = 0.76; p = 0.61) and fever (OR = 0.60; p < 0.20). The results were not affected by patients’ covariates [hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases (meta-regression p > 0.05)]. Conclusion Herbal medicine has the potential as an adjuvant therapy in the management of COVID-19.

From Archipelago to Pandemic Battleground: Unveiling Indonesia’s COVID-19 Crisis

“…Several case studies have already been conducted to assess the effectiveness of phytochemicals as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents in human subjects [ 113 ]. A systematic review and meta-analysis have shown that in the realm of COVID-19 management, herbal medicine presents itself as a promising adjuvant therapy with substantial potential [ 118 ]. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that Traditional Chinese Medicine medications demonstrate efficacy in alleviating symptoms among patients with COVID-19 [ 110 ].…”

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

“…Herbal medicines, with their long history of use in traditional medicine, offer the potential to contribute to symptom relief, accelerate recovery, and strengthen the immune system. While no herbal preparation has yet been consistently shown to be effective in treating COVID-19, recent studies have shown some promising candidates as potential adjunctive or alternative therapies ( Al-kuraishy et al, 2022 ; Komariah et al, 2023 ; Kumar et al, 2023 ; Onyeaghala et al, 2023 ). This medicine has a long history across different cultures, and some plants have been recognized to possess antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties relevant in the context of viral infections ( Nugraha et al, 2020 ).…”