Role of Medicinal Plants of Traditional Use in Recuperating Devastating COVID-19 Situation
In the present scenario of COVID-19 strike and lack of potential antiviral medicines/vaccines against this extremely contagious lethal infection, identifying potential natural plant sources that can help in fighting this disease either by being viricidal or by boosting the immune system can provide significant therapeutic support. Around the globe as of 26th July 2020, there is ~15.78 million confirmed cases and 0.64 million deaths. The COVID-19 infection is produced by virulent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which belongs to large corona virus family. These viruses are responsible for many recent infection outbreaks, SARS in 2003, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2012 and recent most fatal COVID-19. Also, mortality rate related to COVID-19 is found to be very high in case of people with weak immune system e.g. elderly patients, children or patients with preexisting health problems. In this relevance, medicinal plants can act as potential healing agents that can help people to fight against this infection by boosting their immune system or by posing viricidal effect. And thus, can contribute in reducing mortality rate related to SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this review, we attempted to compile and discuss different traditional medicinal plants and their bioactive components that help in strengthening our immune system and also play key role in combatting microbial infections including COVID-19. This article will help researchers and industries to identify and scrutinize potential medicinal plants that can meet their interests for various applications including development of herbal/Ayurvedic antiviral drugs, designing antimicrobial/antiviral materials, development of immunopotentiator, preparation of potential sanitizer systems etc.