Prospection of antiviral compounds from forest plants under ongoing SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a virulent infectious coronavirus which created severe threats to the public health systems and global socioeconomic impact. It spreads over 221 countries and territories around the world and has reported a total of 130,954,934 confirmed cases with a death toll of 2,853,007. An indepth understanding of SARS-CoV-2 virus in terms of structure, variants, mechanism of infection, spread and impacts is needed to develop strategies to eradicate it. It is the condition that, India is facing second wave of SARS-CoV-2 spread in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Since historic epidemics, most of the antiviral medicines are mainly developed based on medicinal plants with the aid of ethnobotanical records. Conventional medicine along with dietary therapy could be a complementary therapeutic measure to prevent and manage SARS-CoV-2 infections. Herbal drugs from medicinal and aromatic plants are major source for the development of novel antiviral drugs. Exploration of plants with numerous bioactive compounds of therapeutic importance remains mostly scanty. Identifying potential natural plant sources constitute an alternate to contain and prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection either by being a viricidal or by boosting the immune system is need of the hour. In order to prevent and contain the severe respiratory infections associated with the COVID 19 pandemic in the absence of potential medicines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, search for antiviral compounds from natural resources gains importance. This article aimed to provide comprehensive list of plants and their active compounds of antiviral properties which would pave a way to develop herbal drug to prevent and contain SARS-CoV-2 infection.