Potential compounds from several Indonesian plants to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection: A mini-review of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic targets

Abstract

The outbreak of coronaviruses (CoVs) presents an enormous threat to humans. To date, no new therapeutic drugs or vaccines licensed to treat human coronaviruses remain undiscovered. This mini-review briefly reports the number of potential plants widely distributed in Indonesia for further research and development as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents and the critical targets for SARS-CoV-2 therapy, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor, spike protein, 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL pro ), papain-like protease (PL pro ), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), helicase, and serine protease. Indonesia is rich in medicinal plants (herbal); it also has a long history of using plants to treat various hereditary diseases. However, since SARS-CoV-2 is a new disease, it has no history of plant-based treatment anywhere in the world. This mini-review describes natural products from several Indonesian plants that contain compounds that could potentially prevent or reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection, act as potential targeted therapy, and provide new therapeutic strategies to develop SARS-CoV-2 countermeasures.

Leveraging knowledge of Asian herbal medicine and its active compounds as COVID-19 treatment and prevention

“…ACE2 functions by cleaving the C-terminal amino acid residue of angiotensin II (Ang II), which maintains the balance of generated Ang II. Furthermore, ACE2 is known to be the receptor for S proteins of SARS-Cov-2; hence, inhibition of this enzyme may be a drug target for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection [2,33]. The expressed S protein of SARS-CoV-2 functions by binding to the ACE2 receptor.…”

“…Inhibition of viral replication may be through a mechanism that blocks the virus from entering human cells (preventing binding of the virus' S protein to the ACE2 receptor) or by attacking the viral enzymes that are essential for its replication. In addition, the drug can act as an inhibitor of various structural proteins, such as M pro , PL pro , helicase, serine protease, and RdRp [2]. Severe COVID-19 patients also may be treated by blocking the cytokine storm through suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.…”

“…An outbreak of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) disease caused by the beta-coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China and continued to rapidly spread worldwide. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is known to be an entry point of SARS-CoV-2, is widely presented on lung alveolar cells but also can be found in other organs' cells, such as the upper esophagus, small intestine, colon, bile, heart, kidney, and bladder; hence, this virus can attack various organs and cause damage [1,2]. Penetration by SARS-CoV-2 stimulates the immune response leading to production of various cytokines, which generates a cytokines storm that triggers disease symptoms.…”

“…Penetration by SARS-CoV-2 stimulates the immune response leading to production of various cytokines, which generates a cytokines storm that triggers disease symptoms. Depending on the cytokines produced, COVID-19 symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe [2]. Severe disease is characterized by progressive lung damage, over-inflammation, pulmonary tissue edema, vascular leakage, coagulation, and endotheliitis (vascular inflammation).…”

A survey on computational methods in discovering protein inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2

“…In the past months, there were several small molecules identified as potential inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2, even though more experimental validations are needed on the molecular targets. Among the molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2, main protease (M pro ) or 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL pro ) [ 18 ], structure proteins (e.g. spike protein), and nonstructure proteases, such as RdRp, and helicase [ 19 ], are highly conserved as well as essential to the viral life process.…”