Prospects for the development of drugs with anti-viral activity based on licorice

The current situation with the widespread of a socially dangerous virus from the genus Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the announcement of a pandemic in connection with this demand the creation of new antiviral drugs since no specific treatment and prophylaxis against this disease has yet been found. Among medicinal plants that are widespread and exhibit multidirectional pharmacological activity, licorice should be noted. The active components contained in licorice, i.e. more than 20 triterpenoids and about 300 flavonoids coupled with glycyrrhizic acid (GL) referred to by the term "glycyrrhizin", have been widely studied for a long time. GL acts indirectly, interferes with the penetration of the virus into the cell, affects the components (HMGB1 protein) necessary for normal viral reproduction, and potentiates the production of interferon γ and α. GL acts against SARS-associated coronavirus infection by inducing the synthesis of nitric oxide synthase, which inhibits viral replication. However, GL may also be helpful in acute respiratory distress syndrome. The combination of the multidirectional pharmacological effects of GL and its derivatives make the licorice-containing preparations promising components of complex antiviral therapy. Currently, research into licorice-containing dosage forms continues from the perspective of creating vaginal suppositories with a thick extract of licorice. © 2021 Sami Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Glycyrrhizin as a Potential Treatment for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

COVID-19 is an emerging viral infection of zoonotic origin that is closely related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak in 2003. Therefore, scientists named the new virus SARS-CoV-2. On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic. At present, three vaccines have been approved or are being considered for approval by national regulatory agencies to immunize against COVID- 19. However, the vaccines do not remain widely available, and no specific treatment against the virus is available. The pathogenesis and proliferation pathways of SARS-CoV-2 are still not well known. Thus, in this article, the saponin glycyrrhizin is discussed as a new potential therapeutic agent of natural origin (licorice root, Glycyrrhiza glabra) for the potential treatment of COVID-19 infections.

Prospect of biobased antiviral face mask to limit the coronavirus outbreak.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has led to nationwide lockdowns in many countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has played serious havoc on economic activities throughout the world. Researchers are immensely curious about how to give the best protection to people before a vaccine becomes available. The coronavirus spreads principally through saliva droplets. Thus, it would be a great opportunity if the virus spread could be controlled at an early stage. The face mask can limit virus spread from both inside and outside the mask. This is the first study that has endeavoured to explore the design and fabrication of an antiviral face mask using licorice root extract, which has antimicrobial properties due to glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and glycyrrhizin (GL). An electrospinning process was utilized to fabricate nanofibrous membrane and virus deactivation mechanisms discussed. The nanofiber mask material was characterized by SEM and airflow rate testing. SEM results indicated that the nanofibers from electrospinning are about 15-30 µm in diameter with random porosity and orientation which have the potential to capture and kill the virus. Theoretical estimation signifies that an 85 L/min rate of airflow through the face mask is possible which ensures good breathability over an extensive range of pressure drops and pore sizes. Finally, it can be concluded that licorice root membrane may be used to produce a biobased face mask to control COVID-19 spread.