Coumarins and chalcones against SARS-CoV-2

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), leading to a pandemic and traumatizing the world. To prevent the spread of virus, infected people were isolated as per the strict protocols. Due to the genome sequence of the virus being strikingly similar to that of SARS-CoV, many antiviral medicines previously approved to treat SARS and MERS are now being repurposed for the plausible treatment COVID-19. To combat SARS-CoV-2, a slew of experimental and clinical medicine and vaccine trials are currently underway worldwide. In the fight against COVID-19 infection, a variety of natural substances are also being searched extensively. Coumarins and chalcones are two important natural chemical classes. They can be found in a wide range of natural products and have many pharmacological effects. SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses were successfully treated with these drugs, which showed significant antiviral activity. This chapter discusses the possible role of coumarins and chalcones in SARS-CoV-2 infection treatment. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.