Medicinal plants are not only popular for their ample store of active ingredients but also boast of several pharmacological properties including the modulation of components of the immune system.
•Dates, garlic, ginger, bitter kola, bitter gourd, black seed, oil palm extract, watermelon validated to stop replication of COVID-19
Scientists have identified local plants that affect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and boosts immune system against viral diseases, especially COVID-19. The researchers wrote: “Plant-based chemicals can also counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, two conditions that usually characterise immune depletion. There is a plethora of evidence demonstrating the potential of medicinal plants in modulating both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. It is a well-known fact that COVID-19 pathogenesis involves the release of enormous amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
The team – from the University of Huddersfield, PhytoQuest Ltd in Aberystwyth, and Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State – says that treatment with these natural products may reduce the cytokine storm that can develop following infection with SARS-CoV-2. A pre-print version of the research paper is available on the bioRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review.
Although some studies have shown that certain plant-based products inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, none have yet reported the effects of such products on alleviating the cytokine storm in COVID-19. “It is proposed that the anti-inflammatory effects of G. kola seed extract could be an important pharmacological attribute for the treatment of ARDS and lung damage in patients with severe COVID-19,” they concluded.Nigella sativa is a medicinal plant commonly known as Black Cumin and has been proven to have anti-viral properties against many viruses, including mouse cytomegalovirus and Hepatitis C Virus . In vitro studies have shown that it can decrease the replication of SARS-CoV.
“This study was conducted in order to pinpoint the best drug candidates from the set of 10 compounds of Aloe vera using molecular docking and ADMET properties. The reactivity of the COVID-19 main protease with 10 isolated Aloe vera compounds showed that the most stable complex is obtained with feralolide or ligand 6 , followed by 9-dihydroxyl-2-O- -cinnamoyl-7-methoxy-Aloesin or ligand 1 and Aloeresin or ligand 8 .
“The results obtained show that Aloe vera possesses not only antiviral properties but also anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulant properties which can be useful in the management of COVID-19. Molecular docking and clinical trials are nonetheless necessary to confirm these positive effects.
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