ABSTRACT
Ethnobotanical research is a well-established field of science that attracts a lot of interest in medicine. Plants are responsible for over 80% of folk remedies used in primary care worldwide. Traditional and herbal medicine knowledge is essential in scientific research, especially when the literature and survey data are not adequately examined. Viral diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide, and they have a significant impact on human health and socioeconomic growth. Many infectious and non-infectious illnesses have long been treated with medicinal plants. The value of medicinal plants has risen in recent centuries. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) alone affects almost 40 million people. Coronavirus disease is now the most common viral illness globally, affecting an estimated 176 million people worldwide (COVID-19). A wide range of plant species was found to be effective in treating viral diseases. This review summarizes viral illness, disease outbreaks, and medicinal plants and herbs with antiviral properties useful in drug development programmes.