No abstract

To date, no specific drug has been proven to treat COVID-19. It encourages people to use medicinal plants to treat or protect themselves against these diseases. Artemisia annua is one of the promising plants that have already been used in coronary disease. However, the antiviral compounds present in this plant remain poorly known. In this study, we aimed to identify some of these molecules by in silico approach. During the screening, 102 secondary metabolites of Artemisia annua were selected and the two viral proteins 3CLpro and PLpro of SARS-CoV2 were selected as targets. Then, a preliminary analysis was performed to determine the inhibition capacity of these phytoligands for the two viral proteins. Then, the phytoligands with stronger interaction energy with these target proteins were selected and their physicochemical properties and ADMET profile were analyzed.

Coronavirus (CoV), which causes animal diseases, has become a human health concern. Prior to 2003, CoV caused respiratory diseases and enteric disorders, but after 2003, CoV caused three acute respiratory syndromes, resulting in significant human deaths. Since then, research on CoV has multiplied, leading to a deeper knowledge of the species. It is in this context that this article reviews the history, the biological aspect, the evolution and the crossing of the CoV species barrier. This review shows that CoVs are formed by a large genome (27 to 33 kb) and by structural proteins (spike S, hemagglutinin esterase HE and membran protein M). Various coronaviruses have been described in a wide range of species including chickens (IBV-CoV), pigs (PHE-CoV, PED-CoV, TGE-CoV PR-CoV, PD-CoV, SADS-CoV), cattle (BCoV), cats (FCoV), dogs (CCoV), and humans (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV2). Birds and bats are the main reservoirs of CoVs, but due to the low fidelity of the replication complex, CoVs have the ability to adapt to various species. Due to the crossing of the species barrier, CoVs have a wide host range resulting in the emergence of various strains worldwide. This information can help researchers develop intervention strategies to prevent the re-emergence of CoVs in the future.