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Effectiveness of Drug Repurposing and Natural Products Against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Review
Paula Andrea Velásquez1,2, Juan C Hernandez1,2, Elkin Galeano3
1Grupo Infettare, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia.
Abstract:
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a betacoronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, causing respiratory disorders, and even death in some individuals, if not appropriately treated in time. To face the pandemic, preventive measures have been taken against contagions and the application of vaccines to prevent severe disease and death cases. For the COVID-19 treatment, antiviral, antiparasitic, anticoagulant and other drugs have been reused due to limited specific medicaments for the disease. Drug repurposing is an emerging strategy with therapies that have already tested safe in humans. One promising alternative for systematic experimental screening of a vast pool of compounds is computational drug repurposing (in silico assay). Using these tools, new uses for approved drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, zidovudine, ribavirin, lamivudine, remdesivir, lopinavir and tenofovir/emtricitabine have been conducted, showing effectiveness in vitro and in silico against SARS-CoV-2 and some of these, also in clinical trials. Additionally, therapeutic options have been sought in natural products (terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins and phenolics) with promising in vitro and in silico results for use in COVID-19 disease. Among these, the most studied are resveratrol, quercetin, hesperidin, curcumin, myricetin and betulinic acid, which were proposed as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. Among the drugs reused to control the SARS-CoV2, better results have been observed for remdesivir in hospitalized patients and outpatients. Regarding natural products, resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin have demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and in vivo, a nebulized formulation has demonstrated to alleviate the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. This review shows the evidence of drug repurposing efficacy and the potential use of natural products as a treatment for COVID-19. For this, a search was carried out in PubMed, SciELO and ScienceDirect databases for articles about drugs approved or under study and natural compounds recognized for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.
Insights
Drug repurposing and natural products show promise for treating COVID-19. Remdesivir and natural compounds like resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, offering therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Virology and Pharmacology
- Computational Drug Discovery
- Natural Product Chemistry
Background:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating effective treatments.
- Limited specific therapeutics led to exploring drug repurposing and natural products for COVID-19 management.
- Preventive measures and vaccines are crucial, but treatment options remain a focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy of drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment.
- To explore the potential of natural products as therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2.
- To highlight promising compounds identified through in silico and in vitro studies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, SciELO, and ScienceDirect databases.
- Analysis of studies on approved drugs, investigational drugs, and natural compounds with antiviral activity.
- Inclusion of computational drug repurposing (in silico assays) and in vitro findings.
Main Results:
- Drug repurposing identified potential treatments like remdesivir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine, with remdesivir showing better clinical outcomes.
- Natural products including resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.
- Nebulized natural product formulations showed promise in alleviating respiratory symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
Conclusions:
- Drug repurposing is an effective strategy for identifying COVID-19 treatments.
- Natural products offer a promising avenue for developing novel antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2.
- Further research into these compounds could lead to new clinical applications for COVID-19.
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