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Screening for natural and derived bio-active compounds in preclinical and clinical studies: One of the frontlines of fighting the coronaviruses pandemic

Khalifa SAM 1 , Yosri N 2 , El-Mallah MF 3 , Ghonaim R 3 , Guo Z 4 , Musharraf SG 5 Show all authors , Du M 6 , Khatib A 7 , Xiao J 8 , Saeed A 9 , El-Seedi HHR 10 , Zhao C 11 , Efferth T 12 , El-Seedi HR 13

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, 32512 Shebin El-Kom, Egypt; School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • 3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, 32512 Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
  • 4 School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • 5 H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
  • 6 School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116024, China
  • 7 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, 25200, Pahang, Malaysia; Faculty of Pharmacy, Airlangga University, Surabaya 60155, Indonesia
  • 8 Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macau
  • 9 Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • 10 Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Solna, Sweden
  • 11 College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
  • 12 Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
  • 13 Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, 32512 Shebin El-Kom, Egypt; H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan; International Research Center for Food Nutrition and Safety, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China. Electronic address: hesham.elseedi@su.se
Phytomedicine, 2021 May;85:153311.
PMID: 33067112 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153311

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Starting December 2019, mankind faced an unprecedented enemy, the COVID-19 virus. The world convened in international efforts, experiences and technologies in order to fight the emerging pandemic. Isolation, hygiene measure, diagnosis, and treatment are the most efficient ways of prevention and intervention nowadays. The health organizations and global care systems screened the available resources and offered recommendations of approved and proposed medications. However, the search for a specific selective therapy or vaccine against COVID-19 remains a challenge.

METHODS: A literature search was performed for the screening of natural and derived bio-active compounds which showed potent antiviral activity against coronaviruses using published articles, patents, clinical trials website (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) and web databases (PubMed, SCI Finder, Science Direct, and Google Scholar).

RESULTS: Through the screening for natural products with antiviral activities against different types of the human coronavirus, extracts of Lycoris radiata (L'Hér.), Gentiana scabra Bunge, Dioscorea batatas Decne., Cassia tora L., Taxillus chinensis (DC.), Cibotium barometz L. and Echinacea purpurea L. showed a promising effect against SARS-CoV. Out of the listed compound Lycorine, emetine dihydrochloride hydrate, pristimerin, harmine, conessine, berbamine, 4`-hydroxychalcone, papaverine, mycophenolic acid, mycophenolate mofetil, monensin sodium, cycloheximide, oligomycin and valinomycin show potent activity against human coronaviruses. Additionally, it is worth noting that some compounds have already moved into clinical trials for their activity against COVID-19 including fingolimod, methylprednisolone, chloroquine, tetrandrine and tocilizumab.

CONCLUSION: Natural compounds and their derivatives could be used for developing potent therapeutics with significant activity against SARS-COV-2, providing a promising frontline in the fighting against COVID-19.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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