Efficiency of Herbal Medicines in Containment of COVID-19

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This virus is responsible for the pandemic which has resulted in the current global health crisis. Remdesivir is now used as an FDA-approved medication in addition to some emergency use authorization (EUA) agents such as Actemra (Tocilizumab), Sotrovimab, and REGEN-COV (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) to contain the COVID-19 infection. However, they are not 100% effective in all cases, and there are several hundreds of daily deaths worldwide. Furthermore, since nearly one year as of the beginning of global vaccination, various vaccines have been evaluated not completely efficient in containing new variants of SARS-CoV-2, although they have significantly reduced mortality. Herbal medicines with evidence-based beneficial effects can have positive roles in immunity enhancement, prevention of infection, and antiviral effects. This review presents the updates of some herbal medicines that may have potential effects on the containment of the COVID-19, especially those with antitussive, antipyretic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Methods: In this narrative review, a thorough literature review was conducted on the entries of Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), Scopus and, and Science Direct published since 2019. This study includes the recently published papers, randomized clinical trials (RCTs), and World Health Organization updates about the COVID-19. The inclusion criteria were the papers that described the effects of the most efficient types of herbal medicines on the containment of the COVID-19. Results: Analyzing nearly more than 40 medicinal plants, we found seven herbals (Myrtus communis, Zingiber officinale, Allium Sativum, Nigella Sativa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Thymus Vulgaris) that might have some positive effects on deferent stages of the COVID-19. Conclusion: Since some herbal medicines might help alleviate or relieve the symptoms of the COVID-19 or have other therapeutic effects, randomized controlled trials should be conducted to confirm these effects.