ABSTRACT
Background: Since the beginning of medical history, plants have been exemplary sources of a variety of pharmacological compounds that are still used in modern medication. Respiratory infections are a serious and persistent global health problem, most acute and chronic respiratory infections are caused by viruses, whose ability to mutate rapidly may result in epidemics and pandemics, as seen recently with MERS-COV (2012) and SARS-COV-2 (2019), the latter causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This study aims to highlight the tremendous benefits of plants that have been widely used as dietary supplements or traditional treatment for various respiratory infections, with a focus on the most effective constituents and studies that revealed their activities against COVID-19. Results: Several traditional plants and their phytoconstituents have shown activity against respiratory viruses, including SARS-COV-2. The presented plants are Nigella sativa, Punica granatum, Panax ginseng, Withania somnifera, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Camellia sinensis, Echinacea purpurea, Strobilanthes cusia, Stephania tetrandra, and genus Sambucus. Conclusion: The data discussed in this review can encourage carrying out in-vivo studies that may help in the discovery of herbal leads that can be feasibly used to alleviate, prevent or treat COVID-19 infection.
ABSTRACT
As the main active compound of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, tetrandrine (TET) has been used to treat silicosis for nearly 50 years. TET has clear therapeutic effect on pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. A recent study suggests that TET may inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by blocking the two-pore channel 2 (TPC2), revealing its potential as a natural medicine to treat COVID-19. To explore the material basis of TET targeting lung efficacy and its potential toxicity, available literatures related to the pharmacological activity on pulmonary, dosage, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of TET are systemically reviewed. The prospect and current problems of TET to be a therapeutic agent for COVID-19 are further investigated on this basis.
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (S. tetrandra) is distributed widely in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. The root of this plant is known in Chinese as "Fen Fang Ji". It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat arthralgia caused by rheumatism, wet beriberi, dysuria, eczema and inflamed sores. Although promising reports have been published on the various chemical constituents and activities of S. tetrandra, no review comprehensively summarizes its traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. Therefore, the review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation of the traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of S. tetrandra in China, and meaningful guidelines for future investigations.