From Nature's Pharmacy to Swine Health: Harnessing Natural Compounds against PRRSV Infection

Abstract

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a significant viral pathogen that causes substantial economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. The limited efficacy of current therapeutic approaches and emergence of new PRRSV strains highlight the urgent need for novel antiviral strategies. Natural compounds derived from plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi have attracted increasing attention as potential antiviral agents. This comprehensive review focuses on natural compounds with antiviral activity against PRRSV and explores their mechanisms of action, efficacy, and potential applications. These compounds exhibit diverse antiviral mechanisms such as viral attachment and entry inhibition, replication suppression, and modulation of host immune responses. This review also highlights challenges and future directions in this field. Research gaps include the need for further elucidation of the precise mechanisms of action, comprehensive evaluation of safety profiles, and exploration of combination therapies to enhance efficacy. Further research and translational studies are warranted to harness the full potential of these natural compounds and pave the way for the effective control and management of PRRSV infections in the swine industry.