The Efficacy of Traditional Medicinal Plants in Modulating the Main Protease of SARS‐CoV‐2 and Cytokine Storm

Abstract

Selected traditional medicinal plants exhibit therapeutic effects in coronavirus disease (Covid‐19) patients. This review aims to identify the phytochemicals from five traditional medicinal plants (Glycyrrhiza glabra, Nigella sativa, Curcuma longa, Tinospora cordifolia and Withania somnifera) with high potential in modulating the main protease (Mpro) activity and cytokine storm in Covid‐19 infection. The Mpro binding affinity of 13 plant phytochemicals were in the following order: Withanoside II > withanoside IV > withaferin A > α‐hederin > withanoside V > sitoindoside IX > glabridin > liquiritigenin, nigellidine > curcumin > glycyrrhizin > tinocordiside > berberine. Among these phytochemicals, glycyrrhizin, withaferin A, curcumin, nigellidine and cordifolioside A suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2 replication and showed stronger anti‐inflammatory activities than standard Covid‐19 drugs. Both pre‐clinical and clinical evidences supported the development of plant phytochemicals as Mpro inhibitors.

Characterizing the structural and physicochemical properties of medicinal plants as a proposal for treating of viral malady

“…Image Species Symptoms of COVID-19 which can be treated by the medicinal plants [35] Cynnamil Cinnamon Anorexia, skin rash Based on this research, it can been estimated the occasions for discovering the efficient medication against COVID-19 using quantum mechanics computations to measure the effect of hydrogen bonding in the variety of junction with these seven natural drugs' components of cynnamil, curcumin, gingerol, pulegone, rosmarinic acid, salvinorina A and thymol binded to the active area of COVID-19 virus [36][37][38][39][40][41] (Figure 1). Recently, several traditional medicinal plants including Glycyrrhiza glabra, Nigella sativa, Curcuma longa, Tinospora cordifolia and Withania somnifera with high potential in modulating the main protease (Mpro) activity and cytokine storm in coronavirus disease infection have indicated remedial impacts on COVID-19 patients [42] .…”

Tomato and human health: A perspective from post‐harvest processing, nutrient bio‐accessibility, and pharmacological interaction

“…Plant phytochemicals have been previously shown to prevent chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes microvascular complications (Ho et al., 2022), viral diseases (Choe et al., 2022), and cancers (Ng et al., 2013). They usually interact with each other to yield synergistic, additive, or antagonistic health effects (Fattore et al., 2016; Fleming & Luo, 2021).…”

A potential host and virus targeting tool against COVID-19: Chemical characterization, antiviral, cytoprotective, antioxidant, respiratory smooth muscle relaxant effects of Paulownia tomentosa Steud

“…Several compounds extracted from plant matrices, in addition to antioxidant and mildly anti-inflammatory activities, have antimicrobial effects against different viruses, including coronaviruses. It is the case of glycyrrhizin, withaferin A, curcumin, nigellidine and cordifolioside A, able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and reduce host inflammation response [21] . Similar observations may be reported for phyto complexes [22] , [23] .…”