Natural Products and Potential Therapeutic Intervention for COVID-19

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused pandemic is still prevailing, but few approved medications are available. While the vaccinations have begun in some areas, it is of concern how the virus mutations will affect the vaccine effectiveness in populations. Various natural products exhibit good pharmacological properties of antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities that may offer preventive intervention benefits. In addition to that, adequate essential minerals and trace elements (e.g., selenium and zinc) are required for healthy immune function; many natural products from prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms can be potential drug targets. Among them are plant extracts traditionally used for antiviral and parasite infections. Two phytochemicals, hesperidin, and sulforaphane might be the most promising candidates for effective prophylaxis and mitigating disease severity. Therefore, they deserve a further study of their antiviral mechanisms of action then move to randomized clinical trials to determine appropriate dosing, pharmacokinetic parameters, and their potential efficacy and safety in humans.