COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case for Phytomedicines

ACEDHARS UNILAG COVID-19 Response Team; Abidemi J Akindele; Foluso O Agunbiade; Margaret O Sofidiya; Olufunsho Awodele; Abimbola Sowemimo; Omobolanle Ade-Ademilua; Moshood O Akinleye; Ismail O Ishola; Ifeoma Orabueze; Olumuyiwa B Salu; Ibrahim A Oreagba; Olayinka T Asekun; Olukemi Odukoya

doi:10.1177/1934578X20945086

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case for Phytomedicines

Nat Prod Commun. 2020 Aug 14;15(8):1934578X20945086. doi: 10.1177/1934578X20945086. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Authors

ACEDHARS UNILAG COVID-19 Response Team; Abidemi J Akindele^{1

2}, Foluso O Agunbiade^{1

3}, Margaret O Sofidiya^{1

4}, Olufunsho Awodele^{1

2}, Abimbola Sowemimo^{1

4}, Omobolanle Ade-Ademilua^{1

5}, Moshood O Akinleye^{1

6}, Ismail O Ishola^{1

2}, Ifeoma Orabueze^{1

4}, Olumuyiwa B Salu^{1

7}, Ibrahim A Oreagba^{1

2}, Olayinka T Asekun^{1

3}, Olukemi Odukoya^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ African Center of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos, Nigeria.
² Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics & Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁶ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁷ Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infection caused by a newly discovered coronavirus which was identified in Wuhan, China. The race is on globally to repurpose drugs for COVID-19 and develop a safe and effective vaccine against the disease. There is an urgent need to search for effective remedies against COVID-19 from the rich and extensive flora of Africa and the world. A literature search was conducted to obtain information on drugs with the potential for effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19 based mostly on outcomes of preclinical studies and a few clinical investigations. This was considered important to this perspective as some of the identified mechanisms of action may be related to potential anti-COVID-19 actions of phytomedicines. The findings from the literature search were also used to establish the need for exploration of phytomedicines in the fight against COVID-19. This perspective identifies the need to preserve the rich tradition of herbal medicine in Africa, repositioning it by inculcating all aspects of discovery, development, and chemical evaluation of pharmaceuticals from medicinal plants for effective management of prevalent diseases. The identified mechanisms of action of current drugs under consideration for the treatment of COVID-19 include preventing fusion of SARS-CoV-2 with human cells; decrease acidity in endosomes, cell membrane-derived vesicles for transportation of the virus within the host cell and within which the virus can replicate; and blockade of the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Phytomedicines may possibly elicit either one or a combination of these effects. The case for the exploration of phytomedicines against COVID-19 is strengthened by the emergence of a number of conventional drugs from medicinal plants and the emergence of botanicals with proven efficacy for some medical conditions. Caution against indiscriminate use of medicinal plants in the guise of treating COVID-19 has been highlighted and the need for reliable preclinical and clinical studies.

Keywords: COVID-19; collaboration; phytomedicines; safety; strategic interventions; therapeutic management.