Abstract
As a public health emergency of international concern, the highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been identified as a severe threat to the lives of billions of individuals. Lung cancer, a malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate, has brought significant challenges to both human health and economic development. Natural products may play a pivotal role in treating lung diseases. We reviewed published studies relating to natural products, used alone or in combination with US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, active against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and lung cancer from 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2021. A wide range of natural products can be considered promising anti-COVID-19 or anti-lung cancer agents have gained widespread attention, including natural products as monotherapy for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (ginkgolic acid, shiraiachrome A, resveratrol, and baicalein) or lung cancer (daurisoline, graveospene A, deguelin, and erianin) or in combination with FDA-approved anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents (cepharanthine plus nelfinavir, linoleic acid plus remdesivir) and anti-lung cancer agents (curcumin and cisplatin, celastrol and gefitinib). Natural products have demonstrated potential value and with the assistance of nanotechnology, combination drug therapies, and the codrug strategy, this “natural remedy” could serve as a starting point for further drug development in treating these lung diseases.
Highlights
To explore the therapeutic value of natural products better, we have focused on the current progress in representative chemical components against SARS-CoV-2 and lung cancer based on evidence from promising in vitro studies published from 1 January 2020 to
The hydrophobic bination of remdesivir with other small molecules, including natural products and natu- pocket with a tube-like shape of the S protein allows a good for linoleic acid, and results in reduced ral-product-inspired potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents, may fit exhibit a synergistic effect, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) interactions, and sets the stage for an intervention strategy that targets linoleic compared to remdesivir alone in COVID-19 patients
This review highlighted state-of-the-art of important natural products, covering studies published between 1 January 2020 and 31 May 2021, in the treatment of the above-mentioned lung diseases
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The highly contagious COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread quickly across all continents [13,14] This global pandemic has posed a significant threat to the lives of billions of individuals through human-to-human transmission [15,16]. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a subtype of lung cancer with the highest incidence rate (accounting for about 85% of lung cancer [19]), has brought significant threats and challenges to human life and health as well as social and economic development In this context, more aggressive drug trial protocols investigating anti-lung cancer agents are another top research priority [20]. Our purpose is to provide a promising “natural remedy” for the treatment of lung cancer and COVID-19
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
