The Role of Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Coronavirus Infections
January 2022
in “
Annals of Institute of Biology University of Sarajevo
”
TLDR Medicinal plants may help treat coronavirus infections by offering promising natural antiviral compounds.
The document reviewed the potential of medicinal plants in treating coronavirus infections, focusing on 73 plant species from 46 families with reported anti-coronavirus activity over a 27-year period. It highlighted the Fabaceae family as the most prevalent, with many bioactive compounds being secondary metabolites primarily isolated from leaves. The study noted the effectiveness of plant products against six coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV, with a common mechanism being the inhibition of 3-chymotrypsin-like protease, 3Clpro. The findings suggested that plants could offer promising anti-coronaviral compounds, advocating for further research into natural antiviral agents due to the high mutation rates and resistance associated with synthetic drugs.
