Antiviral Plants from Marajó Island, Brazilian Amazon: A Narrative Review

Molecules. 2022 Feb 24;27(5):1542. doi: 10.3390/molecules27051542.

Abstract

Diseases caused by viruses are a global threat, resulting in serious medical and social problems for humanity. They are the main contributors to many minor and major outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics worldwide. Over the years, medicinal plants have been used as a complementary treatment in a range of diseases. In this sense, this review addresses promising antiviral plants from Marajó island, a part of the Amazon region, which is known to present a very wide biodiversity of medicinal plants. The present review has been limited to articles and abstracts available in Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scielo, PubMed, and Google Scholar, as well as the patent offices in Brazil (INPI), United States (USPTO), Europe (EPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). As a result, some plants from Marajó island were reported to have actions against HIV-1,2, HSV-1,2, SARS-CoV-2, HAV and HBV, Poliovirus, and influenza. Our major conclusion is that plants of the Marajó region show promising perspectives regarding pharmacological potential in combatting future viral diseases.

Keywords: Amazon region; medicinal plants; plants extract; viral diseases.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Brazil
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • Hepatitis A virus / drug effects
  • Herpesvirus 1, Human / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Plants, Medicinal / metabolism
  • SARS-CoV-2 / drug effects
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Plant Extracts