The Natural Products Withaferin A and Withanone from the Medicinal Herb Withania somnifera Are Covalent Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease

J Nat Prod. 2022 Oct 28;85(10):2340-2350. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00521. Epub 2022 Sep 13.

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) created a global health crisis. The ability of vaccines to protect immunocompromised individuals and from emerging new strains are major concerns. Hence antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 are essential. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro is vital for replication and an important target for antivirals. Using CMap analysis and docking studies, withaferin A (wifA) and withanone (win), two natural products from the medicinal herb Withania somnifera (ashwagandha), were identified as promising candidates that can covalently inhibit the viral protease Mpro. Cell culture, enzymatic, LC-MS/MS, computational, and equilibrium dialysis based assays were performed. DFT calculations indicated that wifA and win can form stable adducts with thiols. The cytotoxicity of Mpro was significantly reduced by wifA and win. Both wifA and win were found to irreversibly inhibit 0.5 μM Mpro with IC50 values of 0.54 and 1.8 μM, respectively. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed covalent adduct formation with wifA at cysteines 145 and 300 of Mpro. The natural products wifA and win can irreversibly inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro. Based on the work presented here we propose that both wifA and win have the potential to be safely used as preventative and therapeutic interventions for COVID-19.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products* / pharmacology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Pandemics
  • Plants, Medicinal*
  • Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Withania*

Substances

  • 3C-like proteinase, SARS-CoV-2
  • Biological Products
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • withaferin A
  • withanone