Traditional Medicinal Plants as the Potential Adjuvant, Prophylactic and Treatment Therapy for COVID-19 Disease: A Review

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). In an effort to combat the pandemic caused by COVID-19 disease, researchers have identified several traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) as potential adjuvant, prophylactic, and treatment for COVID-19. TMPs reported in this paper were identified based on the findings of molecular docking research and the documented traditional use of these plants for COVID-19-related symptoms, such as fever, coughing, headaches, and tiredness. Secondary metabolites with antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activity against various SARS-CoV-2 proteases were also identified from the list of South African medicinal plants. This review discusses secondary metabolites of TMPs with pharmacological benefits, which contribute to the management of COVID-19, and these include Acacia Senegal, Artemisia afra, Aspalathus linearis, Clerodendrum splendens, Dioscorea batatas decne, Echinacea purpurea, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Xysmalobium undulatum, Tinospora crispa, Sutherladia frutescens, and Zingiber officinale.