Abstract
Respiratory viral infections have been a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite massive advancements in the virology field, no specific treatment exists for most respiratory viral infections. Approved therapies against respiratory viruses rely almost exclusively on synthetic drugs that have potential side effects, restricting their use. This review aims to present natural marine sulfated polysaccharides possessing promising antiviral activity against respiratory viruses that could be a safe alternative to synthetic broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. The antiviral properties of marine sulfated polysaccharides are presented according to their mechanism of action on different types and strains of respiratory viruses, and the potential limits of their use are discussed.
Highlights
The respiratory tract is one of the main portals of entry for human viruses
These Viral respiratory tract infections (vRTIs) are limited to the upper respiratory tract but can lead to lower respiratory tract infections as well, in the case of RSV, influenza virus, acute lower respiratory tract infections as well, in the case of RSV, influenza
In a study comparing the antiviral activity of different SPS from seaweeds, iota-carrageenan was shown to possess maximum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 [68]
Summary
The respiratory tract is one of the main portals of entry for human viruses. Respiratory tract infections lead to enormous health and economic burdens and cause severe outcomes, including hospitalization and death, especially in developing countries [1,2,3,4]. In 2003, H1N1 influenza in 2009, avian influenza A viruses, such as H5N1 and H7N9, middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, and the recent SARSCoV-2 in 2019. These reemerging and highly pathogenic pandemic viruses have been one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and are known to cause acute respiratory infections in all age groups globally and all year round [7,8,9,10]. Even though all age groups are susceptible to influenza, children up to 5 years, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with specific chronic medical conditions are considered considered at-risk at-risk populations. Increasedrespiratory respiratory viral infections worldwide necessitate searching for safe and effective antiviral drugs to counteract these massive healthcare problems
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