Potential use of polyphenols in the battle against COVID-19

• Published in: Current opinion in food science Vol. 32; pp. 149 - 155
• Main Authors: Paraiso, Ines L, Revel, Johana S, Stevens, Jan F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2020; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd
• ISSN: 2214-7993; 2214-8000
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2020.08.004

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•Polyphenols interact with SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and its human cellular targets.•Virus binding, entry and replication are affected by these plant-derived compounds.•Modulation of immune response by polyphenols is a beneficial aspect.•Promising potential as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of COVID-19.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. The rising number of cases of this highly transmissible infection has stressed the urgent need to find a potent drug. Although repurposing of known drugs currently provides an accelerated route to approval, there is no satisfactory treatment. Polyphenols, a major class of bioactive compounds in nature, are known for their antiviral activity and pleiotropic effects. The aim of this review is to assess the effects of polyphenols on COVID-19 drug targets as well as to provide a perspective on the possibility to use polyphenols in the development of natural approaches against this viral disease.