Systematic Review On Major Antiviral Phytocompounds from Common Medicinal Plants Against SARS-CoV-2

Suvendu Ghosh; Partha Singha; Lakshmi Kanta Das; Debosree Ghosh

doi:10.2174/0115734064262843231120051452

Systematic Review On Major Antiviral Phytocompounds from Common Medicinal Plants Against SARS-CoV-2

Med Chem. 2024 Jan 24. doi: 10.2174/0115734064262843231120051452. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Suvendu Ghosh¹, Partha Singha², Lakshmi Kanta Das², Debosree Ghosh³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Hooghly Mohsin College, Chinsura, Hooghly 712 101, West Bengal, India.
² Department of Chemistry, Government General Degree College, Kharagpur II, P.O Madpur, Dist - Paschim Medinipur, Pin: 721149, West Bengal, India.
³ Department of Physiology, Government General Degree College, Kharagpur II, P.O Madpur, Dist - Paschim Medinipur, Pin: 721149, West Bengal, India.

PMID: 38317467
DOI: 10.2174/0115734064262843231120051452

Abstract

Viral infections are rising around the globe and with evolving virus types and increasing varieties of viral invasions; the human body is developing antimicrobial resistance continuously. This is making the fight of mankind against viruses weak and unsecured. On the other hand, changing lifestyle, globalization and human activities adversely affecting the environment are opening up risks for new viral predominance on human race. In this context the world has witnessed the pandemic of the human Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recently. The disease is caused by the Coronavirus namely Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2).

Method and material: Developing potential and effective vaccine is also time consuming and challenging. The huge resource of plants around us has rich source of potent antiviral compounds. Some of these molecules may serve as tremendously potent lead molecules whose slight structural modifications may give us highly bioactive antiviral derivatives of phytocompounds. Every geographical region is rich in unique plant biodiversity and hence every corner of the world with rich plant biodiversity can serve as abode for potential magical phytocompounds most of which have not been extensively explored for development of antiviral drug formulations against various viruses like HIV, HPV etc., and the Coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2 which causes the disease COVID-19.

Result: Several phytocompounds from various medicinal plants have already been screened using in silico tools and some of them have yielded promising results establishing themselves as potent lead molecules for development of drugs against the highly mutating SARS-CoV-2 virus and thus these phytocompounds may be beneficial in treating COVID-19 and help human to win the life threatening battle against the deadly virus.

Conclusion: The best advantage is that these phytocompounds being derived from nature in most of the cases, come with minimum or no side effects compared to that of chemically synthesized conventional bioactive compounds and are indigenously available hence are the source of cost effective drug formulations with strong therapeutic potentials.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Virus; antiviral compounds; pandemic; phytocompounds.; vaccine.