4.3.2. Phytochemical Drugs Under Study
COVID-19 has made a mark in history as the 5th global pandemic, after the first flu pandemic that broke out in 1918 . The currently available drugs for treatment like Remdesivir, Lopinavir, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. were identified as a result of the drug repurposing approach, wherein already available drugs were screened using specific protocols . However, the associated benefit of reduced drug discovery time comes with certain drawbacks including toxic effects that result as a part of the treatment, leading to serious cardiac, neurological and psychiatric side effects amongst others like respiratory failure and organ dysfunction . Discovering novel drug moieties to treat SARS-CoV-2, and making it available after FDA approval, remains a time-consuming costly affair, thus driving our focus towards exploring alternative methods and leading us to the option of resorting to phytochemical based treatment strategy . Phytochemicals, generally known for their higher bioactivity, reduced toxicity and side effects, easy availability, and cost-effectivity, provide the most efficient alternative for the treatment of various deadly diseases like COVID-19 . We can broadly classify the phytochemicals which are presently under study to test their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity into flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics, essential oils, glycosides, stilbenes, tannins, saponins, and anthraquinones . These phytocompounds are currently at various levels of testing for their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. Both prevention and treatment of COVID-19 using phytocompounds have gained major attention globally due to its myriad biological properties. Several phytocompounds have been tested for their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and variousin silico, in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies are being carried out. Here we provide an update on the studies reported for the past 5 years.