Role of ethno-phytomedicine knowledge in healthcare of COVID-19: advances in traditional phytomedicine perspective

Abstract

Background Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, ethnomedicinal plants have been used in diverse geographical locations for their purported prophylactic and pharmacological effects. Medicinal plants have been relied on by people around the globe for centuries, as 80% of the world’s population rely on herbal medicines for some aspect of their primary health care needs, according to the World Health Organization. Main body This review portrays advances in traditional phytomedicine by bridging the knowledge of ethno-phytomedicine and COVID-19 healthcare. Ethnomedicinal plants have been used for symptoms related to COVID-19 as antiviral, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antipyretic, and lung–gut immune boosters. Traditionally used medicinal plants have the ability to inhibit virus entry and viral assembly, bind to spike proteins, membrane proteins, and block viral replications and enzymes. The efficacy of traditional medicinal plants in the terms of COVID-19 management can be evaluated by in vitro, in vivo as well as different in silico techniques (molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, machine learning, etc.) which have been applied extensively to the quest and design of effective biotherapeutics rapidly. Other advances in traditional phytomedicines against COVID-19 are controlled clinical trials, and notably the roles in the gut microbiome. Targeting the gut microbiome via medicinal plants as prebiotics is also found to be an alternative and potential strategy in the search for a COVID-19 combat strategy. Conclusions Since medicinal plants are the sources of modern biotherapeutics development, it is essential to build collaborations among ethnobotanists, scientists, and technologists toward developing the most efficient and the safest adjuvant therapeutics against the pandemic of the twenty-first century, COVID-19.

A Review of the Popular Uses, Anatomical, Chemical, and Biological Aspects of Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae): A Genus of Plants Known as “Miracle Leaf”

“…K. hybrida [120] Ethanol extract of the whole plant kalantubolide A (38) kalantubolide B (39) K. delagoensis [32] Flavonoids have been identified in aqueous, hydroalcoholic, and alcoholic extracts from the leaves of K. blossfeldiana, K. crenata; K. daigremontiana, K. delagoensis, K. fedtschenkoi, K. laciniata, K. marmorata, K. mortagei, and K. pinnata (compounds 40-78, Table 5 and Figure 4). The most common flavonoids/glycosylated flavonoids described from these species are derivatives of quercetin (40), patuletin (69)(70)(71), eupafolin (64), and kaempferol (48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62). Aerial parts; methanol extract from the stemsStems eupafolin (6-methoxyluteolin) (64) K. ceratophylla [17,126] Aerial parts eupafolin 4 -O-rhamnoside (65) K. ceratophylla [126] Ethanol extract of the wholeWhole plant 4 -methoxyherbacetin (66) K. delagoensis [32] Stems and leaves; Leaves K. pinnata [129] Ethanol leaf extractLeaves luteolin (77) K. ceratophylla; K. pinnata [121,126] Ethanol leaf extractLeaves luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucoside (78) K. pinnata [121] Recently, a comprehensive approach encompassing metabolomics and machine learning techniques was implemented [134] to investigate K. daigremontiana, K. × houghtonii, and K. delagoensis plant tissue cultures.…”

Exploring the Potential and Limitations of Medicinal Plants in COVID-19 Management: Insights from Algeria

“…The emergence of COVID-19, acknowledged as a 21st-century pandemic by the World Health Organization due to the zoonotic virus SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, led to a global catastrophe with devastating repercussions. This virus triggers a spectrum of symptoms categorized by the WHO into common, less common and serious manifestations [1] .…”

Traditional Knowledge of Cancer Treatment in Southwestern Nigeria: An Ethnopharmacological Review

“…showed that at least 80% of individuals in Africa rely mainly on the use of medicinal plants for healthcare delivery[53][54][55]. With the knowledge of the TMPs in medicinal plants,mode of preparation, and administration of the herbal mixture, successful treatment of some chronic ailments has been established.…”