Research Information System
Coronaviruses, vol.3, no.4, pp.58-68, 2022 (Scopus)
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, continues to affect millions of people worldwide. Vaccines approved and authorized for use are effective against COVID-19, but viral variants of concern may emerge in the near future. The discovery of novel antiviral agents will help humanity overcome COVID-19 and aid in any future viral pandemics. Objective: This review aimed to evaluate evidence from the plant-and seaweed-derived secondary com-pound-based interventions for viral diseases caused by coronaviruses. Methods: A comprehensive search of several databases, including Cochrane Library, Web of Science and PubMed was conducted to identify available studies evaluating the outcomes of plant-and seaweed secondary metabolites in viral diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and COVID-19. Results: The volume of existing reports is irrefutable evidence that some plant-and seaweed-derived secondary compounds (e.g., mannose-specific lectins, griffithsin, cyanovirin-N, gallate, curcumin, luteo-lin, quercetin and betulinic acid) possess a potential antiviral ability against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: Plant and seaweed secondary metabolites with antiviral activity show their activity in different metabolic pathways. Besides reducing and preventing the metabolic damage caused by proinflamma-tory cytokines and oxidative stress, several plants and seaweed secondary metabolites can also be effective in improving some clinical indexes specific to COVID-19. Despite their effectiveness in preclinical studies, plant and seaweed-derived secondary compounds need more pharmacokinetic studies and safety measures concerning their mitogenic and allergenic properties.