Natural Products for COVID-19: Prevention and Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Coronaviruses are a large family (subfamily Coronavirinae, order Nidovirales) of viruses which may cause disease in animals or humans. Human coronaviruses—the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and the most recently discovered coronavirus (COVID-19), which is a type of RNA virus—cause serious viral pneumonitis, leading to hospitalizations and deaths [1]. This virus is considered most contagious when people are symptomatic, though transmission is also probable before symptoms display in patients. Common symptoms include fever, cough, sneezing and shortness of breath. Complications may include pneumonia, throat pain and acute respiratory distress syndrome [2].

This pandemic has caused great human and material losses, and has put health services on serious alert about how to combat such a viral infection on a global scale. While it is true that the development of a cure is progressing at full speed, less attention and effort has been devoted to the prevention of this rapidly spreading respiratory infectious disease. Although several candidate vaccines have so far advanced in clinical trials, limited data on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine in humans have been published, not to mention that the long-term effectiveness of those vaccines remains an open question. Natural products and medicinal herbs have historically been used for acute respiratory infection and show acceptable toxicity. Thus, the most recent advance in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2, including the development of experimental vaccines, comes from the prolonged use of natural products that show an inhibitory effect on the human coronavirus and on the basis of herbs used for COVID-19. The use of isolation techniques for active principles, such as their extracts, synthesis of compounds of natural origin (vegetable and marine), the study and design of drugs and their transport through drug delivery system as a means to administer a vaccine efficient antiviral, will give us an idea of how the large pharmaceutical laboratories are preparing potential vaccines from isolated principles and in combination with natural sources.

We invite authors from all parts of the world to contribute research reviews that evaluate the antiviral effect of medicinal plants and marine drugs. We are particularly interested in manuscripts that describe the assessment of antiviral activity by in vitro, in vivo, in silico and cell-based assays and compile the biological effect by using active molecules from natural sources. This Special Issue provides a venue for authors from various disciplines to disseminate crucial information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the effect of natural products with therapeutic application without side effects.

References:

1. WHO Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) March 2020, https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses.
2. Pal M. Severe acute respiratory syndrome: A newly recognized viral zoonosis of public health concern. Acta Scientific Microbiology. 2018, 1:1.

The subtopics to be covered within this issue are listed below:

• Perspectives (based on systematic reviews), such as predictions, estimations, comparisons to other viral entities;
• In vivo, in vitro, in silico and cell-based assays on antiviral activity;
• Elucidating the mechanism of action;
• Evidenced-based research and clinical trials on SARS Cov2;
• Drug delivery systems

Prof. Dr. Eduardo Sobarzo-Sánchez
Prof. Dr. Esra Küpeli Akkol
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Antiviral
• Pandemic
• SARS-Cov-2
• COVID
• Natural therapy
• Drug development