4.3.2.3. In Vivo and clinical studies
The anti-SARS-CoV2 phytocompounds which are presently under in vivo and clinical studies are very few because it is a costly and time-consuming process. Adding to the difficulty is that the virus is continuously mutating making it harder to find an all-encompassing antiviral phytocompound. However, few phytocompounds are being clinically studied for their efficiency as anti-SARS-Cov-2 drugs. Anin vivo study to test the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity ofAgrimonia Pilosa ethanol extract (APEE) in a mice model showed that APEE exhibited potent antiviral activity with an IC50 of 1.1 µg/ml. In addition, extensive biological assays demonstrated that APEE was able to induce a significant reduction in inflammation, apoptosis markers, oxidative stress, and TLR-4 (Toll-Like Receptor 4) expression, along with reducing histopathological abnormalities, highlighting APEE as a potential candidate for further clinical studies. Figure 6 shows the process involved invivo validation of identified lead compounds in a mouse model. Resveratrol is one of the phytocompound that has made it to clinical trials. In its proposed phase 2 study, it was found that the severity of COVID-19 can be reduced using Resveratrol-assisted zinc therapy. Chlorogenic acid is another phytocompound that has successfully reached clinical trials. In its phase 2 studies, an Açaí Berry extract which contains Chlorogenic acid was administered to COVID-19 patients as a dietary supplement, following which the patients experienced a reduction of inflammation of lungs and improved disease outcome. The general procedure through which the efficiency and adverse effects of the identified drug molecule are evaluated through clinical trials in humans is summarized in Figure 7. The studies discussed here show that phytocompounds are gaining major attention for the treatment of COVID-19 as they possess important biological properties that are crucial to fight viral infection. Moreover, we suggest that, if the search for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs shifts a little more towards extensive pre-clinical and clinical studies on prospective phytocompounds, then these phytocompounds can easily replace the chemical drugs in the near future.