Phytoconstituents in the Management of Covid-19: Demystifying the Fact

Abstract

The 2019-nCoV (COVID-19; novel coronavirus disease-2019) outbreak is caused by the coronavirus, and its continued spread is responsible for increasing deaths, social and economic burden. COVID-19 created a chaotic situation worldwide and claimed the lives of over 5,027,183 and 248,467,363 confirmed cases have been reported so far as per the data published by WHO (World Health Organization) till 5 thNovember 2021. Scientific communities all over the world are toiling to find a suitable therapeutic drug for this deadly disease. Although till date no promising drug has been discovered for this COVID-19. However, as per the WHO, over 102 COVID-19 vaccines are in clinical development and 185 in pre-clinical development. Naturally occurring phytoconstituents possess considerable chemical richness in the form of anti-viral and anti-parasitic potential and have been extensively exploited for the same globally. Still, phytomedicine-based therapies are considered as the best available treatment option to minimize and treat the symptoms of COVID-19 because of the least possible side effects compared to synthetic drugs recommended by the physicians/clinicians. In this review, the use of plant chemicals as a possible therapeutic agent for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV2) is highlighted with their proposed mechanism of action, which will prove fruitful and effective in finding a cure for this deadly disease.