Phytochemicals: A novel antiviral therapeutic approach for prevention of lung injury and respiratory infection during COVID 19

Abstract

Coronavirus spreads from human to human or human to animal via airborne droplets. Coronavirus penetrates human cells via the membrane ACE-2 exopeptidase receptor. There are no specific anti-virus medi- cations or vaccinations available to treat this sudden and fatal sickness during COVID-19 except vaccination. Still, it will take months, if not years, to create these antiviral drug therapies to combat against this pandemic. Phytochemicals have a huge significant anti-inflammatory activity, which can reduce lung injury like major inflammation occurring in the lungs of a covid19 patient. To improve the symptoms of COVID-19 infected patients, supportive care and non-specific treatment are now required. As an alternate measure, fast application of herbal medicine or phyto-chemicals can help with this specific indication. Phytochemicals are a potent class of compounds generated from plants that have less adverse effects due to the lack of additives, preservatives, and excipients. The new COVID19 variants are much dangerous than the early ones which is a major drawback for the early developed vaccines. As a result, the focus of this review will be on certain phytochemicals and their mechanism of action that may be used to manage and prevent SARS-CoV-2 and its major variants emerging nowadays.