Exploring plant-based dengue therapeutics: from laboratory to clinic

Area of Science:

• Tropical medicine
• Ethnobotany
• Virology

Background:

• Dengue virus (DENV) poses a significant global health threat, endemic in over 100 countries, causing millions of infections and deaths annually.
• Current dengue vaccine development faces challenges, and the only licensed vaccine has limited availability.
• Effective antiviral treatments for dengue are lacking, necessitating exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of plant-based therapeutics for dengue infection, from laboratory research to clinical application.
• To identify medicinal plants exhibiting antiviral and therapeutic properties against Dengue virus.
• To assess the efficacy and safety of plant-derived compounds in preclinical and clinical studies.

Main Methods:

• Screening of various plant extracts and compounds for in vitro antiviral activity against DENV.
• In vitro and in vivo studies to elucidate the mechanisms of action of promising plant compounds.
• Review of clinical trial data for plant-based dengue therapies, focusing on efficacy and safety.

Main Results:

• Several medicinal plants, including Andrographis paniculate, Acorus calamus, and Cladogynos orientalis, demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against DENV.
• Carica papaya, Cissampelos pareira, and Ipomea batata showed significant platelet-enhancing activities.
• Carica papaya and Cissampelos pareira exhibited efficacy and safety in clinical trials, indicating their potential as dengue treatments.

Conclusions:

• Promising medicinal plants have been identified with the potential to be developed into clinical drugs for dengue treatment.
• Further development of plant-based and synthetic therapies is needed, alongside robust vector management strategies.
• Integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with scientific research offers a viable pathway for novel dengue therapeutics.