Beginning from December 2019, widespread COVID-19 has caused huge financial misfortunes and exceptional wellbeing emergencies across the globe. Discovering an effective and safe drug candidate for the treatment of COVID-19 and its associated symptoms became an urgent global demand, especially due to restricted information that has been discharged with respect to vaccine efficacy and safety in humans. Reviewing the recent research, olive leaves were selected as a potential co-therapy supplement for the treatment and improvement of clinical manifestations in COVID-19 patients. Olive leaves were reported to be rich in phenolic compounds such as oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, verbascoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside and also triterpenoids such as maslinic, ursolic, and oleanolic acids that have been reported as anti–SARS-CoV-2 metabolites in recent computational and in vitro studies. In addition, olive leaf extract was previously reported in several in vivo studies for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, immunomodulatory, and antithrombotic activities which are of great benefit in the control of associated inflammatory cytokine storm and disseminated intravascular coagulation in COVID-19 patients. In conclusion, the described biological activities of olive leaves alongside their biosafety, availability, and low price make them a potential candidate drug or supplement to control COVID-19 infection and are recommended for clinical investigation.

Background: Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. (Family: Fabaceae), commonly known as Egyptian riverhemp, is a well-known plant widely distributed through Egypt, the rest of Africa and Asia. S. sesban leaves have been traditionally used as an anthelmintic, demulcent, purgative, and anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of eczema, in addition to its agricultural uses. Objective: The aim of this review is to present a comprehensive account of the isolated constituents from S. sesban leaves, along with the correlation between those constituents and the reported biological activities. Methods: This search was performed using SciFinder, Google, Google Scholar, and CrossRef websites using the following keywords: “ Sesbania sesban,” “ Sesbania aegyptiaca,” “Egyptian riverhemp,” “phytochemistry,” “phytochemical constituents,” “isolation,” “steroids,” “triterpenoids,” “saponins,” “coumarins,” “lipoidal contents,” “pharmacological properties,” “biological activities,” “therapeutic uses,” and “review.” Results: S. sesban leaves exhibited several therapeutic potentials such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anthelmintic, molluscicidal, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antianxiety, and mosquito repellant properties. An updated chemical study of S. sesban leaves has provided a variety of essential metabolites belonging to different chemical classes including steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, lipids, and other miscellaneous compounds. The correlations between biological activities and phytoconstituents are discussed. Conclusion: This article represents an updated comprehensive evaluation of the phytochemical and biological studies of S. sesban leaves.

Background Discovery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 become an urgent international need due to the current health and economic implications. Recently, pangolins were reported to have a diminished immunity and vulnerable to several infections. By the end of 2019; recent studies reported the pangolins infection with SARS like virus that showed a 99% genetic homology with SARS-CoV-2. In 2020; a genetic mutation was reported in pangolins that increases their vulnerability to infection with flagellated bacteria such as Mycobacterium species. Moreover, the introduced food formula containing yeast at several zoos, considered as a source of opportunistic Saccharomyces infection in such immunocompromised pangolins. Methods The coexistence of multiple infections in an immunocompromised pangolin is the concept of SARS-CoV-2 evolution hypothesis. The structures of the three proposed microorganisms; SARS-CoV-1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Mycobacterium avium as well as their glycobiology and host cell interactions were studied. The α-mannoses and phosphates present in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is supposed to be introduced through fermentation of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-1 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae while the PRRAR furin putative sequence as well as the LDPLSE motif are supposed to be introduced through microbial interaction with Mycobacterium avium strain 104 . Moreover, the interaction with pangolins cells resulted in the presence of the reserved O-glycosylation sites in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Results and discussion SARS-CoV-2 was naturally developed in an immunocompromised pangolin through microbial interaction that resulted in a hybrid microorganism containing viral RNA encapsulated within a glycan shield (Spike glycoprotein) manipulated by both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Mycobacterium avium. The proposed origin of the novel virus; SARS-CoV-2, explained the abnormal clinical findings such as disseminated infection, blood clotting, hyperpigmentation in some cases and Kawasaki like syndrome in kids. Lactose intolerance is also suggested as a new genetic risk factor that increases the vulnerability to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the likelihood biofilm formation by SARS-CoV-2 is discussed. Furthermore, this hypothesis discussed the potential evolution of MERS through microbial interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-1 virus. Conclusions Trials using triple therapy treatment strategy consisting of Remdesivir, Aithromycin and fluorocytosine as well as a yeast-based vaccine are suggested.

Spinacia oleracea L., Amaranthaceae, leaves cultivated in Egypt demonstrated a potential antileukemic activity against the chronic myeloid leukemia, K562 cell line. Thus, the aim of this study is to carry out a phytochemical investigation of S. oleracea leaves as well as the isolation of its antileukemic phytoconstituents. Phytochemical investigation of S. oleracea leaves resulted in the isolation of seventeen known compounds. The biological study revealed that compounds hexaprenol, phytol, and 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid exhibited a remarkable antiproliferative activity against K562 cells in vitro. A mechanistic in silico study showed that hexaprenol, phytol, and 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid exhibited a strong binding affinity towards topoisomerase (docking score −12.50, −9.19, and −13.29 kcal/mol, respectively), and showed as well a strong binding affinity towards Abl kinase (docking score −11.91, −9.35, and −12.59 kcal/mol, respectively). Molecular dynamics study revealed that 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid produced stable complexes with both topoisomerase and Abl kinase with RMSD values of 1.81 and 1.85 Å, respectively. As a result of our findings, we recommend more in vivo and preclinical studies to confirm the potential benefit of spinach leaves for chronic myeloid leukemia patients. Graphical Abstract