Acanthopanax trifoliatus for COVID-19

 Acanthopanax trifoliatus has been reported as potentially beneficial for COVID-19 in the following study.
COVID-19 involves the interplay of 350+ viral and host proteins and factors providing many therapeutic targets. Scientists have proposed 10,000+ potential treatments. c19early.org analyzes 200+ treatments. We have not reviewed Acanthopanax trifoliatus in detail.
Chen et al., Identification of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis, Molecules, doi:10.3390/molecules30051055
Individuals infected with COVID-19 often experience the distressing discomfort of pharyngitis. Thus, it is crucial to develop novel drugs to improve therapeutic options. In this study, we investigated the interaction between bioactive compounds isolated from Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr and proteins associated with COVID-19 and pharyngitis through in silico analysis. Several molecules demonstrated high affinities to multiple targets, indicating significant potential for alleviating pharyngitis and other COVID-19-related symptoms. Among them, rutin and isochlorogenic acid C, two major components in Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr ethanol extracts, were further experimentally demonstrated to exhibit strong inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 and to possess significant anti-inflammatory activities. Inhibition of over 50% in several key genes was observed, demonstrating the efficacy of in silico methods in identifying high-affinity target binders. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr as a novel multi-target therapeutic agent for both COVID-19 and pharyngitis.