Year: 2023
Type: review
Abstract: Viral infections continue to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alarmingly, the number of patients diagnosed with viral infections is increasing every year. The vast majority of viral diseases lack therapeutic and prophylactic treatment despite the development of some products and the number of basic investigations carried out. While commonly used antivirals often show limited efficacy and serious adverse effects, plant extracts have been used medicinally since ancient times and are known for their antiviral properties and more tolerable side effects. Terrestrial plants represent a promising source of compounds capable of inhibiting the replication of different viruses through direct inhibition or immunomodulatory mechanisms. The most recent evidence demonstrates the antiviral properties of natural compounds against SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19. This review addresses the antiviral activity and modes of action of several phytochemicals against viruses with clinical and epidemiological importance in human health. An epigraph was assigned that addresses the different plants used in the treatment of COVID-19. Searches were made in several electronic databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar and in Scientific Journals such as the Journal of Virology and the Journal of General Virology, in search of articles published in English that addressed the subject in question. The data presented in this review highlight the potentialities of multiple compounds found in terrestrial plants for the treatment of viral infections. All of which, in the current epidemiological context, is of great importance.Keywords: terrestrial plants, antivirals, secondary metabolites, phytotherapy, phytochemicals, SARS-CoV-2, berberine, curcumin.
Language: Spanish
Topic: Medicinal Plant Research
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220339935