Marine Natural Products as Leads against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Since early 2020, disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic, causing millions of infections and deaths worldwide. Despite rapid deployment of effective vaccines, it is apparent that the global community lacks multipronged interventions to combat viral infection and disease. A major limitation is the paucity of antiviral drug options representing diverse molecular scaffolds and mechanisms of action. Here we report the antiviral activities of three distinct marine natural products─homofascaplysin A (1), (+)-aureol (2), and bromophycolide A (3)─evidenced by their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication at concentrations that are nontoxic toward human airway epithelial cells. These compounds stand as promising candidates for further exploration toward the discovery of novel drug leads against SARS-CoV-2.