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.