Antiviral drugs are a class of medicines particularly used for the treatment of viral infections. Drugs that combat viral infections are called antiviral drugs. Viruses are among the major pathogenic agents that cause number of serious diseases in humans, animals and plants. Viruses cause many diseases in humans, from self resolving diseases to acute fatal diseases. Developing strategies for the antiviral drugs are focused on two different approaches: Targeting the viruses themselves or the host cell factors. Antiviral drugs that directly target the viruses include the inhibitors of virus attachment, inhibitors of virus entry, uncoating inhibitors, polymerase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, inhibitors of nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase and the inhibitors of integrase. The inhibitors of protease (ritonavir, atazanavir and darunavir), viral DNA polymerase (acyclovir, tenofovir, valganciclovir and valacyclovir) and of integrase (raltegravir) are listed among the Top 200 Drugs by sales during 2010s. Still no effective antiviral drugs are available for many viral infections. Though, there are a couple of drugs for herpesviruses, many for influenza and some new antiviral drugs for treating hepatitis C infection and HIV. Action mechanism of antiviral drugs consists of its transformation to triphosphate following the viral DNA synthesis inhibition. An analysis of the action mechanism of known antiviral drugs concluded that they can increase the cell’s resistance to a virus (interferons), suppress the virus adsorption in the cell or its diffusion into the cell and its deproteinisation process in the cell (amantadine) along with antimetabolites that causes the inhibition of nucleic acids synthesis. This review will address currently used antiviral drugs, mechanism of action and antiviral agents reported against COVID-19.

Context Rosa damascena Mill. is prescribed for the management of chest and abdominal pain, constipation, digestive disorders, menstrual bleeding and liver ailments. Objective The current review compiles up to date and complete information of whole plant of R. damascena with particular emphasis on its numerous scientifically proved pharmacological effects, traditional and folk medicinal uses. Key finding The data on the pharmacological effects of R. damascena were collected from various databases such as PubMed, Wiley Online Library, Elsevier and Web of Science using the keywords like phytoconstituents, pharmacology, medicinal uses and biological activity of R. damascene. Rosa damascena has a wide spectrum of bio-pharmacological activity like antidepressant, hypoglycaemic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and antimicrobial. The main ingredients of R. damascena essential oil responsible for pharmacological activity are geraniol and citronellol. Its uses have been widely accepted in traditional system of medicines for the management of numerous diseases of human beings in different dosage forms. Summary Rosa damascena has a significant place in traditional system of medicine. It is cost-effective and an important plant with curative application in contemporary medicine. Further studies on the characterization of chemical constituents and scientific basis of pharmacological activity of R. damascena should be carried out to evaluate its impact on traditional system of medicines. Large-scale preclinical and clinical trials will be beneficial in investigating the mechanism of the therapeutic potential of R. damascene to explore its uses in pharmaceutical industries.

The advent of antibiotics revolutionized medical care resulting in significantly reduced mortality and morbidity caused by infectious diseases. However, excessive use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance and indeed, the incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is considered as a major disadvantage in medication strategy, which has led the scholar's attention towards innovative antibiotic sources in recent years. Medicinal plants contain a variety of secondary metabolites with a wide range of therapeutic potential against the resistant microbes. | Rosmarinus officinalisRosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as Rosemary, belongs to family Lamiaceae is an evergreen herb. Its medicinal activities commonly in leaves are due to the presence of chemical compounds including abietane, diterpenes, carnosic acid, carnosol and 12-methoxy-trans-carnosic acid. Biologically, this plant has antimicrobial potential against Staph. aureus with MIC value of 16-64 µg/mL. 38 3.2.7 | Argemone maxicana Argemone maxicana L. belongs to family Papaveraceae. Its seed, leaf, and latex are used for medicinal purposes. The chemical compounds present in A. maxicana L. are protopine, berberine, oxyberberine, columbamine, jatrorrhizine, and dehydrocorydalmine. It has been reported that methanolic extract of Argemone maxicana L. is effective against Staph. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. 39 | Hydrastis canadensisHydrastis canadensis belongs to family Ranunculaceae. Medicinally, its rhizomes are used to treat a set of various diseases like wounds, inflammation, and ulcers. Chemical constituents present in H. canadensis are berberine, beta-hydrastine, canadine, and canadaline. The extract of this plant is active against Staph. aureus, Strep. sanguis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. 40 | Citrus aurantifoliaCitrus aurantifolia belongs to family Rutaceae. Useful parts of this plant are fruit juice and rind of fruit as well as dried extract as powder, and seeds. Active compounds found in this plant are terpinene, pinene, limonene, hydrocarbons, monoterpenoids, citronellal, citral, vitamin C, and citric acid. Antimicrobial activity of the extract of C. aurantifolia against Staph. aureus and Candida albicans have been reported in published literature. 41 | Cymbopogon citratusCymbopogon citrate also called lemon grass belongs to the family Poaceae and its fruit and seeds are used in traditional medicine to treat bacterial infection, amoebiasis, hyperlipidaemia, and diabetes mellitus. Chemical constituents isolated from C. citratus are gammaterpinene, beta-pinene, hydrocarbons, monoterpenoids, limonene, citronellal, citral, terpineol, methyl heptanone, hesperidin, naringoside, hesperidoside, vitamin C, and citric acid. The microorganisms including Staph. aureus, Citrobacter freundii, Sal. enterica, Edwardsiella tarda, Pr. mirabilis, B. subtilis, B. cereus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas caviae, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae are inhibited by this. 42 3.2.11 | Carica papaya Carica papaya belongs to fami...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with relative or absolute insulin deficiency or resistance, characterized by hyperglycemia. Modern prescriptions such as pioglitazone have better therapeutic potential, but its side effects and financial burden for developing countries have motivated the researchers to find alternative natural drugs to compete hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes. The present study was conducted to explore the therapeutic potential of selected medicinal plants for the treatment of diabetes as an alternative to allopathic medicines. Method: In present study, hydroalcoholic extracts of Curcuma longa , Lavandula stoechas , Aegle marmelos, and Glycyrrhiza glabra and their polyherbal preparation (PHP) as compound drug were investigated for their antihyperglycemic potential in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The study subjects (mice) were divided into different groups as normal control, diabetic control, pioglitazone treated (standard drug), test groups (plant extract treated 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg body weight), and PHP-treated group. Blood glucose concentration of all the study animals was determined by Glucose strip test. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of all the plant extracts was also performed following standard methods. Result: It was investigated that treatment of alloxan-induced diabetic mice with hydroalcoholic extracts of studied medicinal plants showed significant ( P < .05) effects on fasting blood glucose levels (from baseline to normal range) in a manner comparable to that of the reference drug, pioglitazone (1 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneal). The tested plant extracts significantly ( P < .05) reduced the glucose concentration in blood of diabetes-induced mice in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: It could be concluded that studied medicinal plants have antihyperglycemic activity. The study findings favor the use of traditional herbal medicinal practices for the management of diabetes that might due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents in plants. However, larger studies are required to identify, isolate, and characterize the bioactive phytoconstituents responsible for antihyperglycemic activity of studied medicinal plants.

The plants belonging to the genus Vicia are of great interest as a source of many bioactive compounds and micronutrients. A snapshot of their cultivation, habitat, main components, from which essential oils can be obtained, is given. The traditional medicinal uses of Vicia plants are also reported, as well as the wide spectrum of the main biological activities attributed to Vicia plants is discussed regarding potential health beneficial properties, in particular anti‐Parkinson, anticholinesterase, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive, antidiabetic, antihemolytic, anticoagulant, estrogenic, diuretic, antihypoxic activities.