Antiviral Potential of Immunomodulators Based Medicinal Plants against Novel Coronavirus-19: Against the Pandemic

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the coronavirus family and is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19 is a new animal origin communicate or infectious disease). The first case of Covid19 was reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and due to its rapid increase and high incidence rate, it has become a pandemic health problem worldwide. It mainly attacks the host's immune system and impairs the regulation system, playing a significant role in its pathogenesis, causing covid-19 disease. Still, we are waiting for such molecules that can act as immunomodulators and enhance the body's immune system against the disease. This literature-based chapter was prepared by searching numerous relevant SCI and SCOPUS articles on the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, herbal formulation and its active molecules from different databases like- Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate. Here, we were trying to highlight or repurpose several Immunomodulators (Alkaloids, Glycosides, Flavonoids, Sapogenins, and Curcumin) of plant origin. Plant-derived Immunomodulators are capable of stimulating/suppressing the components of the host immune system and both innate and adaptive immune responses. However, in this present review, we will discuss some phytoactive chemicals, which act as immunomodulators, and their immunomodulation mechanism in the host. Hopefully, this work shall encourage the researcher community to undertake further work on plant-based antiviral therapy with potential immunomodulatory activity, which might be responsible for modulating the host immune system to cure Covid-19. Besides, we discuss the further prospect of this study.

Keywords: Alkaloids, COVID-19, Curcumin, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Immunomodulators, Medicinal plants, SARS-CoV-2, Sapogenins.