Phytochemicals for the treatment of COVID-19

• Published in: The journal of microbiology Vol. 59; no. 11; pp. 959 - 977
• Main Authors: Españo, Erica, Kim, Jiyeon, Lee, Kiho, Kim, Jeong-Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Microbiological Society of Korea 01-11-2021; Springer Nature B.V; 한국미생물학회
• Subjects: Animals; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Drugs; Flavonoids; Health services; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Minireview; Pandemics; Phytochemicals; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Phytochemicals - therapeutic use; Plant diseases; Plants; Polyphenols; SARS-CoV-2 - drug effects; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Vero Cells; Viral diseases; Viroses; 생물학; COVID-19; antivirals; natural products; SARS-CoV-2; alkaloids; coronaviruses; phytochemicals; flavonoids
• ISSN: 1225-8873; 1976-3794
• DOI: 10.1007/s12275-021-1467-z

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the lack of approved drugs against acute viral diseases. Plants are considered inexhaustible sources of drugs for several diseases and clinical conditions, but plant-derived compounds have seen little success in the field of antivirals. Here, we present the case for the use of compounds from vascular plants, including alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins, as antivirals, particularly for the treatment of COVID-19. We review current evidence for the use of these phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2 infection and present their potential targets in the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle.