Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF- α) and Antiviral Activities of Artemisia SPP. Extracts on SARS-COV2

The challenges posed by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including treatment resistance, pandemic threats, and vaccine failure, necessitate the need for locally sourced efficacious therapeutic interventions. We investigated the in-vitro antiviral effects of natural medicinal compounds from Artemisia spp., validated by molecular docking, on TNF-α levels in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from a designated Lagos COVID-19 isolation centre.

Bioactive chemicals in ethanol and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts from freshly collected, dried, and powdered A. afra and A. annua leaves were characterised using UHPLC. A cross-sectional study of 253 hospitalised SARS-CoV-2 patients was conducted to evaluate the extracts' antiviral activity through serum TNF-α modulation; and docking techniques to determine compound-TNF-α binding affinities.

Phytochemical screening of A. annua revealed therapeutic constituents ((lactones, monoterpenes, flavonoids, and sesquiterpenes (artemisinin, rutin, and phenolic acids)) confirmed by UHPLC. The dichloromethane extract of A. afra demonstrated greater TNF-α inhibition in critically ill COVID-19 patients unlike ethanol extracts. Molecular docking validated TNF-α binding affinity for most isolated compounds.

Artemisia spp. promises antiviral-proinflammatory cytokine regulation, justifying clinical COVID-19 prophylaxis/therapeutic research, especially against resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants. This could reduce vaccination dependency in impoverished nations while addressing vaccine efficacy and local immunity gaps.