Medicinal plants: Treasure for antiviral drug discovery.
Phytother Res
; 35(7): 3447-3483, 2021 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1323905
ABSTRACT
The pandemic of viral diseases like novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) prompted the scientific world to examine antiviral bioactive compounds rather than nucleic acid analogous, protease inhibitors, or other toxic synthetic molecules. The emerging viral infections significantly associated with 2019-nCoV have challenged humanity's survival. Further, there is a constant emergence of new resistant viral strains that demand novel antiviral agents with fewer side effects and cell toxicity. Despite significant progress made in immunization and regenerative medicine, numerous viruses still lack prophylactic vaccines and specific antiviral treatments that are so often influenced by the generation of viral escape mutants. Of importance, medicinal herbs offer a wide variety of therapeutic antiviral chemotypes that can inhibit viral replication by preventing viral adsorption, adhering to cell receptors, inhibiting virus penetration in the host cell, and competing for pathways of activation of intracellular signals. The present review will comprehensively summarize the promising antiviral activities of medicinal plants and their bioactive molecules. Furthermore, it will elucidate their mechanism of action and possible implications in the treatment/prevention of viral diseases even when their mechanism of action is not fully understood, which could serve as the base for the future development of novel or complementary antiviral treatments.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Plants, Medicinal
/
Virus Diseases
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Traditional medicine
/
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Phytother Res
Journal subject:
Complementary Therapies
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ptr.7039
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