Ashwagandha, withania somnifera for COVID-19

<p>Objectives: Comparative study of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera; WS) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for chemoprophylaxis against COVID-19 in actively engaged high-risk health-care workers. Design: Randomized, multicentric, open label, active control, two arm parallel efficacy study of 16 weeks. Sample size was based on pre-set 15% non-inferiority margin to HCQ for prophylaxis against COVID-19 with 80% power and alpha &amp;lt; 0.05. Participants: 400 health-care workers from three sites who were asymptomatic and tested negative for a quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test (RT-PCR) for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio. Participants observed physical protection measures as per the national policy. All incident confirmed COVID-19 were withdrawn.Interventions: Two tablets of 250 mg standardized aqueous extract of WS, twice daily after meal or HCQ 800 mg loading followed by 400 mg weekly for 16 weeks as per the national guidelines. Main outcome measures: The primary efficacy measure was “failure of prophylaxis” as confirmed by RT-PCR at any time during the study. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) efficacy analyses were performed.Results: 95 participants in the Ashwagandha (WS) arm and 101 participants in the HCQ arm completed the study. Both groups were well matched at the baseline. 91 participants from the Ashwagandha arm and 84 from the HCQ arm were withdrawn because they received the COVID-19 vaccination. Four participants (2%; 95% CI 2.8 to 3.9%) in the Ashwagandha and 5 (2.5%; 95% CI 5.4 to 8%) in the HCQ arm developed confirmed COVID-19. This was within the prefixed non-inferiority margin and the 95% CI of the absolute risk reduction (ARR) was -2.9 to 3.8% intention to treat (ITT) and -5.9 to 7.5% per protocol (PP). The 95% CI of ARR for the total COVID-19 cases was -2.8 to 11.9% ITT and -5.7 to 20.3% PP. Several health measures, particularly anxiety and stress, improved significantly in the Ashwagandha arm. Seven out of 117 in the Ashwagandha and 59 out of 178 in the HCQ groups were reported to be possible drug-related adverse events (AE); there were significantly less gut-related AE in the Ashwagandha group. AE were mostly mild and did not cause withdrawal. All incident COVID-19 cases recovered without complications. Conclusions: Ashwagandha was non-inferior to HCQ in the chemoprophylaxis against COVID-19 in high risk health-care workers. It was significantly safer, well tolerated and improved quality of life measures. Ashwagandha as COVID-19 prophylaxis seems appropriate in high-risk populations. Trial registration: The Clinical Trials Registry India Number CTRI/2020/08/027163 dated August 14, 2020.</p>

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus that causes COVID-19, and so far, it has occurred five noteworthy variants of concern (VOC). SARS-CoV-2 invades cells by contacting its Spike (S) protein to its receptor on the host cell, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). However, the high frequency of mutations in the S protein has limited the effectiveness of existing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly the Omicron variant. Therefore, it is critical to develop drugs that have highly effective antiviral activity against both SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in the future. This review provides an overview of the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the current progress on anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a respiratory disease called the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a new coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China. The SARS-CoV-2, an encapsulated positive-stranded RNA virus, spread worldwide with disastrous consequences for people’s health, economies, and quality of life. The disease has had far-reaching impacts on society, including economic disruption, school closures, and increased stress and anxiety. It has also highlighted disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, with marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. There is presently no effective cure. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in developing COVID-19 vaccine for different therapeutic targets. For instance, scientists developed multifold vaccine candidates shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak after Pfizer and AstraZeneca discovered the initial COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines reduce disease spread, severity, and mortality. The addition of rapid diagnostics to microscopy for COVID-19 diagnosis has proven crucial. Our review provides a thorough overview of the historical development of COVID-19 and molecular and biochemical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2. We highlight the potential contributions from insect and plant sources as anti-SARS-CoV-2 and present directions for future research.

The rapid spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global pandemic. Although specific vaccines are available and natural drugs are being researched, supportive care and specific treatments to alleviate symptoms and improve patient quality of life remain critical. Chinese medicine (CM) has been employed in China due to the similarities between the epidemiology, genomics, and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. Moreover, the integration of other traditional oriental medical systems into the broader framework of integrative medicine can offer a powerful approach to managing the disease. Additionally, it has been reported that integrated medicine has better effects and does not increase adverse drug reactions in the context of COVID-19. This article examines preventive measures, potential infection mechanisms, and immune responses in Western medicine (WM), as well as the pathophysiology based on principles of complementary medicine (CM). The convergence between WM and CM approaches, such as the importance of maintaining a strong immune system and promoting preventive care measures, is also addressed. Current treatment options, traditional therapies, and classical prescriptions based on empirical knowledge are also explored, with individual patient circumstances taken into account. An analysis of the potential benefits and challenges associated with the integration of complementary and Western medicine (WM) in the treatment of COVID-19 can provide valuable guidance, enrichment, and empowerment for future research endeavors.

COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 has impacted human livelihood globally. Strenuous efforts have been employed for its control and prevention; however, with recent reports on mutated strains with much higher infectivity, transmissibility, and ability to evade immunity developed from previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, prevention alternatives must be prepared beforehand in case. We have perused over 128 recent works (found on Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect as of February 2023) on medicinal plants and their compounds for anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and eventually reviewed 102 of them. The clinical application and the curative effect were reported high in China and in India. Accordingly, this review highlights the unprecedented opportunities offered by medicinal plants and their compounds, candidates as the therapeutic agent, against COVID-19 by acting as viral protein inhibitors and immunomodulator in (32 clinical trials and hundreds of in silico experiments) conjecture with modern science. Moreover, the associated foreseeable challenges for their viral outbreak management were discussed in comparison to synthetic drugs.