Plant Extracts as Antiviral Agents

Abstract

With the advent of COVID-19, an infectious disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-COV-2), which has claimed the death of thousands around the globe, there is an urgent intense need to screen plant extracts, in addition to the search for synthetic medicines and a vaccine to neutralize the coronavirus. Whilst the use of plant extracts for antimicrobial, antidiabetic and other assays have reached their zenith, research in the use of plant extracts as antiviral agents lacks comparison. Such research would also come in close scrutiny in the future, considering that the virus can mutate and lead to antiviral strains. Thus, research in this area, should seek the approval of health organisations, locally and international and may become increasing difficult to pursue, considering the emergence of COVID-19 disease. Viruses can mutate in the presence of chemicals and other mutating agents to produce Novel viral strains, with devastating effect on the human race. Viruses detrimental to the human race, can emerge from any countries. Once approval is sought, for antiviral research, herbal antiviral medicinal research should intensified. Guyana diverse flora offers a promising source for natural antiviral agents and needs continual screening in this direction. However, it would need approval from world health organisations for antiviral testing.