Potential natural candidates in the treatment of coronavirus infections

Abstract

Many viral infections do not have treatments or resistant to existing antiviral therapeutic interventions, and a novel strategy is required to combat virus-mediated fatalities. A novel coronavirus (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and rapidly spread across the globe. COVID-19 has impacted human society with life-threatening and unprecedented health, social, and economic issues, and it continues to affect millions of people. More than 5,800 clinical trials are in place worldwide to develop treatments to eradicate COVID-19. Historically, traditional medicine or natural products, such as medicinal plants, marine organisms and microbes, have been efficacious in treating viral infections. Nevertheless, important parameters for natural products, including clinical trial information, pharmacokinetic data, potency and toxicity profiles, in vivo and in vitro data, and product safety require validation. In this review article, an evaluation is performed of the potential application of natural product-based antiviral compounds, including crude extracts and bioactive chemical compounds obtained from medicinal plants, marine organisms, and microbes, to treat the viral infections COVID-19.