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Aims: A novel β-coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has become a pandemic affecting hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Since there is no effective treatment, the need of finding alternative methods which can help to curb this pandemic is urgent. This study aims to review the literature on the virucidal and cytotoxic properties of Aloe vera, one of the most studied plants considered as a nutraceutical in order to propose it as an alternative solution against COVID-19. Methodology: The literature review was based mainly on the COVID-19 resources that have been made freely available to the scientific community but also on the usual databases such as Pubmed and Google scholar. Results: The literature review shows that the plant has antiviral activity on several types of virus (Haemorrhagic Viral Rhobdavirus Septicaemia, Herpes simplex virus type 1, Herpes simplex virus type 2, Varicella-Zoster virus, human immunodeficiency virus, Influenza virus, poliovirus, Cytomegalovirus, Human papillomavirus) including coronavirus SARS-CoV-1. The plant is consumed orally in several forms and is safe. It is possible that  molecules of this plant that have already shown effectiveness on other viruses by some mechanisms such as interaction of virus enzyme, breakdown of the viral envelope etc. could participate in the action of the plant. Also, the presence of minerals such as Zinc, which have shown an effect on SARS-CoV-1, could be involved in the antiviral effect of Aloe vera. Conclusion: Molecular docking of the main molecules of Aloe vera with SARS-CoV-2 protease is in progress and clinical trials are necessary to confirm the activity of Aloe vera on COVID-19.

Abstract:In accordance with statistics from the World Health Organization, nearly 80% of populations depend on traditional medicine for primary health care. In order to scientifically validate the phyto-therapeutic wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, three plants were chosen namely: Afromomum alboviolaceum, Annona senegalensis and Mondia whitei. The objective of our study was to assess the antisickling, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the ethanolic extracts and the dichloromethane fractions of these three plants. Sickle cell blood was supplied from Centre de Médecine Mixte and Anémie SS of Yolo Sud, Kinshasa. Three bacterial strains were used including Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC 9027. The ethanolic extracts of A. alboviolaceum and A. senegalensis and dichloromethane fractions of A. alboviolaceum and M. whitei showed IC50 values < 100 µg/mL in the ABTS test. Only the dichloromethane fraction of A. senengalensis showed an IC 50 value of less than 100 µg/mL for the DPPH test. The inhibitory concentration 50 (IC 50 ) values obtained from the ABTS test are lower than those of the DPPH test. All tested extracts possess a high antisickling activity and only soluble dichloromethane extracts are active vis-à-vis Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 31.5 µg/mL). These results constitute a scientific evidence validating the use of these three medicinal plants for the management of sickle-cell anemia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: Plants of the Zingiberaceae family namely Curcuma longa, Aframomum melegueta and Zingiber officinale are known for their many biological activities such as the antiviral activity. Aim: To provide an updated knowledge on the phytochemistry, toxicology and antiviral activity of some medically interesting Zingiberaceae species. Study Design: Multidisciplinary advanced bibliographic surveys and dissemination of the resulted knowledge. Results: The literature review shows that these edible plants have antiviral properties on different types of viruses ( Rhinovirus, hepatitis B and C viruses, Herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2, Human immunodeficiency viruse, Enterovirus 71, Ebola Virus, Human cytomegalovirus,  Chikungunya virus,   Epstein-Barr Virus, Japanese Encephalitis Virus, Respiratory syncytial virus, Fish viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, Influenza A virus, Epstein-Barr virus, Coronavirus SARS-CoV-1, etc.).  In addition, the literature indicated that these plants are a significant source of nutrients, which can boost the immune system and are safe according to the existing toxicological data. Conclusion: The present mini-review can therefore help to inform future scientific research towards the development of antiCovid-19 herbal drugs of relevance as well as nutraceuticals from these three plants species for the improvement of human health and wellbeing using reverse pharmacology approach. Molecular docking of some naturally occurring isolate compounds against SARS-CoV-2 proteases is in progress.

Aim: Till now, no specific treatment is available for COVID-19. This work is carried out with the aim of verifying in the literature the antiviral properties of aromatic plants and essential oils that can justify their use against the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. Methodology: The literature review was based mainly on the usual databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central., Science Direct, SCIELO, DOAJ, Science alert, Semantic scholar and Google scholar. Results: A survey of literature reveals that aromatic plants and their essential oils are active against a large number of viruses (Herpes virus-1, Herpes virus-2, HIV, Adeno virus, Hepatite B Virus, Enterovirus 71, JUNV, etc.) and even against SARS-CoV-1 which has 96% of the same genetic background with SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: Aromatic plants and their essential oils exhibit high antiviral activities against several types of viruses. This evidence stemming from several experimental studies means that some compounds derived from essential oils could act as inhibitors of COVID-19. Molecular docking investigations and pharmacoinformatics of some compounds derived from essential oils with SARS-CoV-2 protease are in progress to identify the potential inhibitors of the virus.