Promising Plant-Based Bioactive Natural Products in Combating SARS-CoV2 Novel Corona (COVID-19) Virus Infection

Abstract

Known as the obligate intracellular parasites, viruses are the minuscular giants that are associated with heterogeneous effects in living organisms. SARS CoV-2 is one such deadly virus wreaking havoc to the entire globe since February, 2020 and forced the whole world to be shut indoors following certain norms. SARS-CoV-2 bears close resemblance with the previous SARS-CoV and MERS CoV but is unique in mode of causing infection, disease causing ability and fatality rate. Natural plant-based products are in use since time immemorial against diverse types of ailments for the several benefits associated with them. There are numerous reports of phytochemicals with anti-viral characters. Researches are being carried out all over the globe to find out phytochemicals with significant mode of action against the virus. The plant-based chemicals primarily try to target the biomolecules associated with the infection and replication of the virus molecule inside the living cells. Docking studies and analyses are being done on such plant-based extracts and molecules that can efficiently inhibit the binding of the virus with the targets. The binding scores of the phytochemicals are found and compared against standard, conventional drug molecules in use. They are analysed further and several molecules from source plants like Allium sativum, Nigella sativa, Eucalyptus sp., Camellia sinensis, Curcuma longa, grapefruit and phytochemicals like naringenin, saikosaponins, Eucalyptol, essential oils and many more are found to show promising results in the study. This work tries to make an in-depth study and compilation of all the existing reports and literatures on such phytochemicals that can successfully emerge as alternative treatment approach to combat against the deadly SARS CoV-2 virus.