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Natural product-derived phytochemicals as potential agents against coronaviruses: A review
Janice S Mani1, Joel B Johnson1, Jason C Steel1
1School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, Bruce Hwy, North Rockhampton, QLD, Australia.
Abstract:
Coronaviruses are responsible for a growing economic, social and mortality burden, as the causative agent of diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and COVID-19. However, there is a lack of effective antiviral agents for many coronavirus strains. Naturally existing compounds provide a wealth of chemical diversity, including antiviral activity, and thus may have utility as therapeutic agents against coronaviral infections. The PubMed database was searched for papers including the keywords coronavirus, SARS or MERS, as well as traditional medicine, herbal, remedy or plants, with 55 primary research articles identified. The overwhelming majority of publications focussed on polar compounds. Compounds that show promise for the inhibition of coronavirus in humans include scutellarein, silvestrol, tryptanthrin, saikosaponin B2, quercetin, myricetin, caffeic acid, psoralidin, isobavachalcone, and lectins such as griffithsin. Other compounds such as lycorine may be suitable if a therapeutic level of antiviral activity can be achieved without exceeding toxic plasma concentrations. It was noted that the most promising small molecules identified as coronavirus inhibitors contained a conjugated fused ring structure with the majority being classified as being polyphenols.
Insights
Natural compounds show promise for treating coronavirus infections. Many polyphenols, like quercetin and scutellarein, exhibit potent antiviral activity against SARS and MERS, offering potential new therapies.
Area of Science:
- * Virology and Medicinal Chemistry
- * Natural Product Drug Discovery
Background:
- * Coronaviruses (e.g., SARS, MERS, COVID-19) pose significant global health and economic threats.
- * Effective antiviral treatments for many coronavirus strains are limited.
- * Natural compounds offer diverse chemical structures with potential therapeutic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review natural compounds with demonstrated or potential antiviral activity against coronaviruses.
- * To identify promising small molecules and polyphenols for therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- * A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted.
- * Keywords included "coronavirus," "SARS," "MERS," "traditional medicine," "herbal," "remedy," and "plants."
- * 55 primary research articles were identified and analyzed.
Main Results:
- * Numerous natural compounds, particularly polar compounds, were identified with antiviral properties.
- * Promising inhibitors include scutellarein, quercetin, myricetin, caffeic acid, and griffithsin.
- * Most effective small molecules feature conjugated fused ring structures, predominantly polyphenols.
Conclusions:
- * Naturally occurring compounds, especially polyphenols, represent a valuable resource for developing novel antiviral agents against coronaviruses.
- * Further research into compounds like lycorine is warranted to balance efficacy and toxicity.
- * The identified compounds offer a promising foundation for new coronavirus therapeutics.
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