Essential oils and extracts of commonly used medicinal plants to fight against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases including COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, many infectious diseases are emerging as a pandemic. COVID-19 is one of the major challenges for mankind at present. The third wave of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has already started hitting the world and new variants has also started spreading. At present, patients with severe COVID-19 are treated with antiviral drugs for controlling viral infection and supportive treatment with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs to control hyper inflammatory response and secondary infection respectively. Antioxidant drugs are also gaining importance in COVID-19 patient’s supportive care. Many herbal preparations are known and have been proven for their health benefits such as immune-modulatory, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and Antioxidant roles.Methods: Four herbal plants of household use were selected for the study namely garlic, cloves, cinnamon and eucalypts. Research data was collected for all the plants for their immune-modulatory, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and Antioxidant roles and presented comprehensively in the preparation of this manuscript. Results: Essential oils and extracts of medicinal plants such as garlic, cloves, cinnamon and eucalypts have all those characteristics required to prevent as well as control infection and supportive care which is important in the fight against COVID-19.Discussion: There is relevance in the treatment strategy for COVID-19 and medicinal properties of plant extracts which make these medicinal plants as a potential alternative to pharmacological agents for immunity boost up, treatment and management of viral pandemics including COVID-19 outbreak.