The cases of COVID-19 are still increasing day-by-day worldwide, even after a year of its first occurrence in Wuhan city of China. The spreading of SARS-CoV-2 infection is very fast and different from other SARS-CoV infections possibly due to structural differences in S proteins. The patients with severe diseases may die due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by systemic inflammatory reactions due to the excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by the immune effector cells. In India too, it is spreading very rapidly, although the case fatality rate is below 1.50% (https://www.statista.com), which is markedly less than in other countries, despite the dense population and minimal health infrastructure in rural areas. This may be due to the routine use of many immunomodulator medicinal plants and traditional AYUSH formulations by the Indian people. This communication reviews the AYUSH recommended formulations and their ingredients, routinely used medicinal plants and formulations by Indian population as well as other promising Indian medicinal plants, which can be tested against COVID-19. Special emphasis is placed on Indian medicinal plants reported for antiviral, immunomodulatory and anti-allergic/anti-inflammatory activities and they are categorized for prioritization in research on the basis of earlier reports. The traditional AYUSH medicines currently under clinical trials against COVID-19 are also discussed as well as furtherance of pre-clinical and clinical testing of the potential traditional medicines against COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. The results of the clinical studies on AYUSH drugs will guide the policymakers from the AYUSH systems of medicines to maneuver their policies for public health, provide information to the global scientific community and could form a platform for collaborative studies at national and global levels. It is thereby suggested that promising AYUSH formulations and Indian medicinal plants must be investigated on a priority basis to solve the current crisis.

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BGR-34 is a polyherbal formulation frequently used to combat diabetes around the globe especially in Asian countries. It provides an attractive treatment option to prediabetics, diabetics, and in metabolic disorders by controlling the altered blood glucose level. The lack of phytopharmacological studies on BGR-34 prompted as to reveal the compounds responsible for the antidiabetic and free-radical scavenging activity of BGR-34. An attempt was made to assess in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition of BGR-34 along with its free-radical scavenging potential via DPPH scavenging activity. Further, HPTLC profiling and quantitative analysis of berberine and palmatine in BGR-34 were carried out. Thereafter, the TLC-bioautographic-MS analysis was performed to identify the compounds responsible for antidiabetic and antioxidant activities in BGR-34. The results had shown a significant and dose-dependent inhibition potential of BGR-34 against in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymatic reactions along with significant inhibition in DPPH free-radical scavenging activity. The HPTLC profiling and quantitative validation studies showed the presence of berberine and palmatine 44.926 ± 0.2907 and 10.507 ± 0.154 μg/g, respectively. The TLC-MS bioautography revealed a total of four DPPH-active, two α-amylase-active, and nine α-glucosidase-active compounds in BGR-34. It was observed from the study that BGR-34 possesses verities of bioactive compounds, which are reasonable not only for its antidiabetic effect but also for its antioxidant activity.