Medicinal plants: Prospective drug candidates against the dreaded Coronavirus

Abstract

Introduction: Medicinal plants have been the most productive source of leads for the development of drugs from ancient times. Current research in drug discovery involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, biological, and molecular techniques. Medicinal plant based drug discovery continues to provide novel and important leads against several diseases. Methods: Relevant articles relating to the concept were identified using a combination of manual library search as well as journal publication on the subject and critically reviewed. Results: Drug discovery from medicinal plants continues to provide an important source of new drug leads however; numerous challenges are encountered including the procurement of plant materials and implementation of appropriate high-throughput screening bioassays. Medicinal plants have great prospect in the ultimate search for the cure against the dreaded coronavirus. Conclusion: It is hoped that the more efficient and effective application of medicinal plants would improve the drug discovery process against the dreaded coronavirus.