Traditional Chinese herbal medicine at the forefront battle against COVID-19: Clinical experience and scientific basis

Abstract

Background : Throughout the 5000-year history of China, more than 300 epidemics were recorded. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) has been used effectively to combat each of these epidemics’ infections, and saved many lives. To date, there are hundreds of herbal TCM formulae developed for the purpose of prevention and treatment during epidemic infections. When COVID-19 ravaged the Wuhan district in China in early January 2020, without a deep understanding about the nature of COVID-19, patients admitted to the TCM Hospital in Wuhan were immediately treated with TCM and reported later with >90% efficacy. Approach : We conducted conduct a systematic survey of various TCM herbal preparations used in Wuhan and to review their efficacy, according to the published clinical data; and, secondly, to find the most popular herbs used in these preparations and look into the opportunity of future research in the isolation and identification of bioactive natural products for fighting COVID-19. Results : Although bioactive natural products in these herbal preparations may have direct antiviral activities, TCM employed for fighting epidemic infections was primarily based on the TCM theory of restoring the balance of the human immune system, thereby defeating the viral infection indirectly. In addition, certain TCM teachings relevant to the meridian system deserve better attention. For instance, many TCM herbal preparations target the lung meridian, which connects the lung and large intestine. This interconnection between the lung, including the upper respiratory system, and the intestine, may explain why certain TCM formulae showed excellent relief of lung congestion and diarrhea, two characteristics of COVID-19 infection. Conclusion : There is good reason for us to learn from ancient wisdom and accumulated clinical experience, in combination with cutting edge science and technologies, to fight with the devastating COVID-19 pandemic now and emerging new coronaviruses in the future.

Chinese herbal medicine: Fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection on all fronts

“…The outstanding performance of Chinese herbal medicine, especially in mainland China, has led to the publication of several interesting reviews on COVID-19 from the perspectives of clinical experience ( Lee et al, 2020 ; Shu et al, 2020 ; Zhuang et al, 2020 ), scientific foundation ( Leung et al, 2020 ), efficacy and safety ( Li et al, 2020f ), pros and cons ( Nugraha et al, 2020 ; López-Alcalde et al, 2020 ) and meta-analysis ( Fan et al, 2020 ; Xiong et al, 2020b ; Luo et al, 2020a ). However, as yet, there has been no hierarchical (active ingredients, monomer preparations, crude extracts, and formulas) review covering the use of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 that covers both in vitro research and clinical practice.…”

Molecular Basis of the Therapeutical Potential of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) and Clues to Its Anti-COVID-19 Utility

“…Moreover, since inflammatory cytokine storms together with immune system impairment are commonly observed in patients with severe COVID-19, several research studies have highlighted the advantages of dual therapies with antiviral and anti-inflammatory benefits [ 38 , 39 ]. Due to the urgent need for such a pharmacological treatment, drug repurposing [ 40 , 41 , 42 ] and herbal medicine are two of the most considered anti-COVID-19 approaches [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. In fact, several plants such as mulberry, tea, and Dragon’s Blood tree are known as remedies to treat respiratory ailments and for their anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties, which are useful aspects in the fight against COVID-19 [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ].…”

Understanding COVID-19 in Wuhan From the Perspective of Cold-Dampness: Clinical Evidences and Mechanisms

“…In contrast to Western medicine, TCM, as one of the primary alternative and complementary medicine, has its own unique theoretical system and methods of understanding human physiology and pathology. Over thousands of years of its clinical use, TCM has accumulated rich experience in the face of more than 300 documented plagues in Chinese history ( 11 ).…”