TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANTS AS PROMISING SOURCE OF IMMUNOMODULATOR AGAINST COVID-19

Abstract

Outbreak of novel corona virus (Covid-19) or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS CoV-2) was noticed in China at the end of 2019 and has now become one of the major global health threat. Although, Covid-19 virus imposes detrimental effects to all groups of persons irrespective of their age, sex, race and body physic. Immuno-compromised people are reported to be severely affected in comparison to immunocompetent persons, suggesting immunity as a major player against SARS CoV-2. Despite of great efforts and intensive researches carried all over the world, so far there are no clinically approved vaccines or specific therapeutic drugs available for Covid-19. In this regard, different traditional medicinal plants, which are vast reservoir of bioactive compounds with broad therapeutic and immunomodulatory properties, have been emerged as boon to combat with Covid-19. Along with pharmacological properties and easily availability, safety paradigm of ethnomedicinal plants makes them highly preferable immediate remedy to enhance immunity and compete with novel corona virus. Use of traditional Indian spices has been also realized as effective and safer strategy in order to boost immunity and deal with highly terrible current Covid-19 situation. Hence, there is need to boost the efficacy of the traditionally used plant based immunomodulators against Covid-19 pandemic incorporating modern biotechnological and pharmacological tools so as to enhance bioavailability and practical applicability. The present article deals with general feature of SARS CoV-2 along with recent reports on efficacy of traditional medicinal plants as well as Indian spices as an effective immunomodulator for Covid-19.