Reconsidering Traditional Medicinal Plants to Combat COVID-19
Namrata Gangal, Vinod Nagle, Yogesh Pawar, Santanu Dasgupta
Abstract
COVID – 19 is a deadly disease, caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that is rapidly spreading across the globe and causing many fatalities. WHO (World Health Organization) has declared this disease as pandemic. Currently the disease has no treatment available in the form of medicine or vaccine. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, been practiced in India for nearly 5000 years and relies majorly on plants for its formulations. These herbal formulations and immunity boosters may show us the path to come up with a broad-spectrum antiviral product, which is the need of the hour. In this review, we have selected plants like Phyllanthus spp., Andrographis paniculata, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Withania somnifera with reported antiviral properties. While others like Tinospora cordifolia and Emblica officinalis that have immunity boosting properties. The exact mechanisms of action for all the plants may not be clear as per modern medicine, but their history of safe use is in place.