The global market for medicinal plants and herbs is on the increase due to their desirability, efficacy, and less adverse effects as complementary and alternative medications to the orthodox pharmaceuticals, perhaps due to their natural components and qualities. Metabolic syndromes are managed with changes in diet, exercise, lifestyle modifications and the use of pharmacological agents. Plants are now known to have potent antioxidant and cholinergic activities which are relevant to the management of several metabolic syndromes, which are unfortunately, co-morbidity factors in the coronavirus disease crisis. This review will focus on the biological activities of some plant products used as complementary and alternative medicines in the management of metabolic syndromes, and on their reported antiviral, antithrombotic, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory properties, which are integral to their usage in the management of viral infections and may give an avenue for prophylactic and therapeutics especially in the absence of vaccines/formulated antiviral therapies.
Keywords: Metabolic syndrome; coronavirus; diabetes; hypertension; obesity.