Epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin-3-gallate for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a huge number of deaths from 2020 to 2021; however, effective antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 are currently under development. Recent studies have demonstrated that green tea polyphenols, particularly EGCG, inhibit coronavirus enzymes as well as coronavirus replication in vitro. Herein, we examined the inhibitory effect of green tea polyphenols on coronavirus replication in a mouse model. We used epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and green tea polyphenols containing more than 60% catechin (GTP60) and human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. Scanning electron microscopy analysis results showed that HCoV-OC43 infection resulted in virion particle production in infected cells. EGCG and GTP60 treatment reduced coronavirus protein and virus production in the cells. Finally, EGCG- and GTP60-fed mice exhibited reduced levels of coronavirus RNA in mouse lungs. These results demonstrate that green tea polyphenol treatment is effective in decreasing the level of coronavirus in vivo.

(1) Background: The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) remains an underexplored antiviral target so far. The reduced efficacy of approved treatments against novel variants highlights the importance of developing new agents. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of phytochemicals as inhibitors of PLpro, identify gaps, and propose novel insights for future reference. (2) Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. Out of 150 articles reviewed, 57 met inclusion criteria, focusing on SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors, excluding studies on other coronaviruses or solely herbal extracts. Data were presented class-wise, and phytochemicals were grouped into virtual, weak, modest, and potential inhibitors. (3) Results: Approximately 100 phytochemicals are reported in the literature as PLpro inhibitors. We classified them as virtual inhibitors (70), weak inhibitors (13), modest inhibitors (11), and potential inhibitors (6). Flavonoids, terpenoids, and their glycosides predominated. Notably, six phytochemicals, including schaftoside, tanshinones, hypericin, and methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, emerged as potent PLpro inhibitors with favorable selectivity indices and disease-mitigation potential; (4) Conclusions: PLpro stands as a promising therapeutic target against SARS-CoV-2. The phytochemicals reported in the literature possess valuable drug potential; however, certain experimental and clinical gaps need to be filled to meet the therapeutic needs.

Abstract COVID-19, a pandemic disease has affected 480 million people and caused 6 million deaths around the world. Despite the progress made in COVID-19 drug discovery, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of this disease continuously mutates and rapidly evolves into new variants. This increases the challenges in drug discovery for COVID-19. As natural products serve as sources of drugs forever, this study applies computational techniques in predicting the natural compounds in herbs and spices of household origin as SARS-CoV-2 spike and protease inhibitors and also verifies the top hits against spike and protease mutants associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. This study reveals Hesperidin, Diosgenin, Fenugreekine, Epigallocatechin gallate and Quercetin as SARS-CoV-2 spike and protease inhibitors, which acts better than the drug Remdesivir. The efficiency of the top hits was also been verified against the mutants, which reveals Diosgenin and Fenugreekine as the most efficient natural compounds against SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants (N501Y, E484K, K417N and K417T), which are associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Additionally, Hesperidin is proven to have better binding efficiency against Mpro mutants (Y54C, A191V, T190I and N142S). Overall, this study concludes that Hesperidin, Diosgenin and Fenugreekine could combat both SARS-CoV-2 and its variants effectively.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, researchers have been working tirelessly to discover effective ways to combat coronavirus infection. The use of computational drug repurposing methods and molecular docking has been instrumental in identifying compounds that have the potential to disrupt the binding between the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and human ACE2 (hACE2). Moreover, the pseudovirus approach has emerged as a robust technique for investigating the mechanism of virus attachment to cellular receptors and for screening targeted small molecule drugs. Pseudoviruses are viral particles containing envelope proteins, which mediate the virus’s entry with the same efficiency as that of live viruses but lacking pathogenic genes. Therefore, they represent a safe alternative to screen potential drugs inhibiting viral entry, especially for highly pathogenic enveloped viruses. In this review, we have compiled a list of antiviral plant extracts and natural products that have been extensively studied against enveloped emerging and re-emerging viruses by pseudovirus technology. The review is organized into three parts: (1) construction of pseudoviruses based on different packaging systems and applications; (2) knowledge of emerging and re-emerging viruses; (3) natural products active against pseudovirus-mediated entry. One of the most crucial stages in the life cycle of a virus is its penetration into host cells. Therefore, the discovery of viral entry inhibitors represents a promising therapeutic option in fighting against emerging viruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and lasting impact on the world. Four years on, despite the existence of effective vaccines, the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants remains a challenge for long-term immunity. Additionally, there remain few purpose-built antivirals to protect individuals at risk of severe disease in the event of future coronavirus outbreaks. A promising mechanism of action for novel coronavirus antivirals is the inhibition of viral entry. To facilitate entry, the coronavirus spike glycoprotein interacts with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on respiratory epithelial cells. Blocking this interaction and consequently viral replication may be an effective strategy for treating infection, however further research is needed to better characterize candidate molecules with antiviral activity before progressing to animal studies and clinical trials. In general, antiviral drugs are developed from purely synthetic compounds or synthetic derivatives of natural products such as plant secondary metabolites. While the former is often favored due to the higher specificity afforded by rational drug design, natural products offer several unique advantages that make them worthy of further study including diverse bioactivity and the ability to work synergistically with other drugs. Accordingly, there has recently been a renewed interest in natural product-derived antivirals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides a summary of recent research into coronavirus entry inhibitors, with a focus on natural compounds derived from plants, honey, and marine sponges.

Abstract: Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the recent pandemic and worldwide outbreak of respiratory disease. Since there are no known specific drugs for fighting this virus and the process for new drug development is lengthy, scientists have been trying to develop drugs against this viral infection. The potent antiviral activity of natural products has been confirmed in several previous studies. Viral and host proteins contributing to COVID-19 infections can be targeted by natural compounds derived from plants, marine organisms, and microorganisms. The most important of these compounds are polyphenols (e.g., anthraquinone polyphenol, hinokinin, curcumin, and epigallocatechin gallate), alkaloids (e.g., isoquinoline, 10- hydroxyusambarensine, anisotine, and adhatodine), and terpenoids (salvinorin A, thymoquinone, bilobalide, ginkgolide A, and celastrol) from plants, sulphated polysaccharides (carrageenans, chondroitin sulfate C, and fucoidan) from marine organisms, and glycocin F and lactococcin G phycocyanin, and lipopeptide from microorganisms. This study reviews these compounds and their mechanism of action for treating COVID-19 infection and guides researchers in developing effective and safe therapeutic agents against this disease from naturally derived compounds.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred intense research efforts to identify effective treatments for SARS-CoV-2. In silico studies have emerged as a powerful tool in the drug discovery process, particularly in the search for drug candidates that interact with various SARS-CoV-2 receptors. These studies involve the use of computer simulations and computational algorithms to predict the potential interaction of drug candidates with target receptors. The primary receptors targeted by drug candidates include the RNA polymerase, main protease, spike protein, ACE2 receptor, and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). In silico studies have identified several promising drug candidates, including Remdesivir, Favipiravir, Ribavirin, Ivermectin, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Camostat Mesylate, among others. The use of in silico studies offers several advantages, including the ability to screen a large number of drug candidates in a relatively short amount of time, thereby reducing the time and cost involved in traditional drug discovery methods. Additionally, in silico studies allow for the prediction of the binding affinity of the drug candidates to target receptors, providing insight into their potential efficacy. This study is aimed at assessing the useful contributions of the application of computational instruments in the discovery of receptors targeted in SARS-CoV-2. It further highlights some identified advantages and limitations of these studies, thereby revealing some complementary experimental validation to ensure the efficacy and safety of identified drug candidates.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped respiratory β coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), leading to a deadly pandemic that has claimed millions of lives worldwide. Like other coronaviruses, the SARS-CoV-2 genome also codes for non-structural proteins (NSPs). These NSPs are found within open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) and open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and encode NSP1 to NSP11 and NSP12 to NSP16, respectively. This study aimed to collect the available literature regarding NSP inhibitors. In addition, we searched the natural product database looking for similar structures. The results showed that similar structures could be tested as potential inhibitors of the NSPs.

COVID-19 pandemic has spurred intense research efforts to identify effective treatments for SARS-CoV-2. In silico studies have emerged as a powerful tool in the drug discovery process, particularly in the search for drug candidates that interact with various SARS-CoV-2 receptors. These studies involve the use of computer simulations and computational algorithms to predict the potential interaction of drug candidates with target receptors. The primary receptors targeted by drug candidates include the RNA polymerase, main protease, spike protein, ACE2 receptor, TMPRSS2, and AP2-associated protein kinase 1. In silico studies have identified several promising drug candidates, including Remdesivir, Favipiravir, Ribavirin, Ivermectin, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Camostat mesylate, among others. The use of in silico studies offers several advantages, including the ability to screen a large number of drug candidates in a relatively short amount of time, thereby reducing the time and cost involved in traditional drug discovery methods. Additionally, in silico studies allow for the prediction of the binding affinity of drug candidates to target receptors, providing insight into their potential efficacy. However, it is crucial to consider both the advantages and limitations of these studies and to complement them with experimental validation to ensure the efficacy and safety of identified drug candidates.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global panic because of its continual evolution and recurring spikes. This serious malignancy is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the outbreak, millions of people have been affected from December 2019 till now, which has led to a great surge in finding treatments. Despite trying to handle the pandemic with the repurposing of some drugs, such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir, ivermectin, etc., against COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues its out-of-control spread. There is a dire need to identify a new regimen of natural products to combat the deadly viral disease. This article deals with the literature reports to date of natural products showing inhibitory activity towards SARS-CoV-2 through different approaches, such as in vivo, in vitro, and in silico studies. Natural compounds targeting the proteins of SARS-CoV-2—the main protease (Mpro), papain-like protease (PLpro), spike proteins, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), endoribonuclease, exoribonuclease, helicase, nucleocapsid, methyltransferase, adeno diphosphate (ADP) phosphatase, other nonstructural proteins, and envelope proteins—were extracted mainly from plants, and some were isolated from bacteria, algae, fungi, and a few marine organisms.

Despite the fact that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment and management are now considerably regulated, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still one of the leading causes of death in 2022. The availability of COVID-19 vaccines, FDA-approved antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies in low-income countries still poses an issue to be addressed. Natural products, particularly traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and medicinal plant extracts (or their active component), have challenged the dominance of drug repurposing and synthetic compound libraries in COVID-19 therapeutics. Their abundant resources and excellent antiviral performance make natural products a relatively cheap and readily available alternative for COVID-19 therapeutics. Here, we deliberately review the anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms of the natural products, their potency (pharmacological profiles), and application strategies for COVID-19 intervention. In light of their advantages, this review is intended to acknowledge the potential of natural products as COVID-19 therapeutic candidates.

In this study, the possible interactions of 17 phytochemicals that were reported as the most abundant biomolecules of Hibiscus sabdariffa, including many organic acids as well as catechin and quercetin derivatives, with 3CLpro and PLpro proteases of SARS-CoV-2 have been investigated via molecular docking. Caffeoylshikimic acid/3CLpro showed the lowest binding energy (-7.72 kcal/mol) with seven H-bonds. The second-lowest binding energy was computed in the chlorogenic acid/3CLpro complex (-7.18 kcal/mol), which was found to form 6 H-bonds. Also, low binding energies of cianidanol (-7.10 kcal/mol), cryptochlorogenic acid (-6.67 kcal/mol), and kaempferol (-6.82 kcal/mol) were calculated to 3CLpro with several H-bond interactions. Nelfinavir (-10.16 kcal/mol) and remdesivir (-6.40 kcal/mol), which have been used against COVID-19, were obtained to have low binding energies to 3CLpro with 3 H-bond formations each. On the other hand, the nicotiflorin/PLpro complex, which had the lowest binding energy (-7.40 kcal/mol), was found to have only 1 H-bond interaction. The second-lowest binding energy was reported in chlorogenic acid/PLpro (-7.20 kcal/mol), which was found to possess four H-bonds. On the other hand, epigallocatechin gallate/PLpro, which was shown to have a -5.95 kcal/mol binding energy, was found to form 8 H-bond interactions. Furthermore, the quercetin pentosylhexoside/PLpro complex was monitored to have low binding energy (-6.54 kcal/mol) with 9 H-bonds, which stands as the highest number of H-bonds in all complexes. Therefore, several molecules of Hibiscus sabdariffa were found to have strong binding affinity to the main proteases of SARS-CoV-2. This study suggests many compounds, including caffeoylshikimic acid and nicotiflorin, to inhibit 3CLpro and PLpro activities. As a result, numerous chemicals derived from Hibiscus sabdariffa have the potential to be employed therapeutically against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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.

Abstract With the rapid spread of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen agent of COVID-19 pandemic created a serious threat to global public health, requiring the most urgent research for potential therapeutic agents. The availability of genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 and efforts to determine the protein structure of the virus facilitated the identification of potent inhibitors by using structure-based approach and bioinformatics tools. Many pharmaceuticals have been proposed for the treatment of COVID-19, although their effectiveness has not been assessed yet. However, it is important to find out new-targeted drugs to overcome the resistance concern. Several viral proteins such as proteases, polymerases or structural proteins have been considered as potential therapeutic targets. But the virus target must be essential for host invasion match some drugability criterion. In this Work, we selected the highly validated pharmacological target main protease Mpro and we performed high throughput virtual screening of African Natural Products Databases such as NANPDB, EANPDB, AfroDb, and SANCDB to identify the most potent inhibitors with the best pharmacological properties. In total, 8753 natural compounds were virtually screened by AutoDock vina against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Two hundred and five (205) compounds showed high-affinity scores (less than − 10.0 Kcal/mol), while fifty-eight (58) filtered through Lipinski’s rules showed better affinity than known Mpro inhibitors (i.e., ABBV-744, Onalespib, Daunorubicin, Alpha-ketoamide, Perampanel, Carprefen, Celecoxib, Alprazolam, Trovafloxacin, Sarafloxacin, Ethyl biscoumacetate…). Those promising compounds could be considered for further investigations toward the developpement of SARS-CoV-2 drug development.

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 has been responsible for the major worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. Despite the enormous success of vaccination campaigns, virus infections are still prevalent and effective antiviral therapies are urgently needed. Viroporins are essential for virus replication and release, and are thus promising therapeutic targets. Here, we studied the expression and function of recombinant ORF3a viroporin of SARS-CoV-2 using a combination of cell viability assays and patch-clamp electrophysiology. ORF3a was expressed in HEK293 cells and transport to the plasma membrane verified by a dot blot assay. Incorporation of a membrane-directing signal peptide increased plasma membrane expression. Cell viability tests were carried out to measure cell damage associated with ORF3a activity, and voltage-clamp recordings verified its channel activity. The classical viroporin inhibitors amantadine and rimantadine inhibited ORF3a channels. A series of ten flavonoids and polyphenolics were studied. Kaempferol, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate, nobiletin, resveratrol and curcumin were ORF3a inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging between 1 and 6 µM, while 6-gingerol, apigenin, naringenin and genistein were inactive. For flavonoids, inhibitory activity could be related to the pattern of OH groups on the chromone ring system. Thus, the ORF3a viroporin of SARS-CoV-2 may indeed be a promising target for antiviral drugs.

SARS CoV-2 or COVID-19 pandemic global-outbreak created the most unstable situation of human health-economy. Last two decades different parts of the word experienced smaller or bigger outbreak related to human-coronaviruses. The spike-glycoproteins of the COVID-19 (similar to SARS-CoV) attach to the angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE-2) and transit over a stabilized open-state for the viral-internalization to the host-cells and propagate with great efficacy. Higher rate of mutability makes this virus unpredictable/less-sensitive to the protein/nucleic-acid based-drugs. In this emergent situation, drug-induced destabilization of spike-binding to RBD could be a good strategy. In the current study we demonstrated by Bioinformatics (CASTp: Computed-Atlas-of-Surface-Topography, PyMol: molecular-visualization) and Molecular docking (PatchDock) experiments that tea flavonoids catechin-products mainly EGCG or other like theaflavin gallate demonstrated higher Atomic Contact Energy (ACE), surface area and more amino-acid interactions than hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) during binding in the central channel of the spike-protein. Moreover, out of three distinct binding-sites (I, II and III) of spike core when HCQ binds only with site III (farthest from the vCoV-RBD of ACE2 contact), EGCG and TG bind all three sites. As because site I and II is in closer contact with open state location and viral-host contact area so these drugs might have significant effects. Taking into account the toxicity/side-effects by CQ/HCQ, present drugs may be important. Our laboratory is working on tea flavonoids and other phytochemicals in the protection from toxicity, DNA/mitochondrial damage, inflammation etc. The present data might be helpful for further analysis of flavonoids in this emergent pandemic situation.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 19) pandemic, researchers have been trying to investigate several active compounds found in plants that have the potential to inhibit the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The present study aimed to evaluate bioactive compounds found in plants using a molecular docking approach to inhibit the main protease (Mpro) and spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. The evaluation was performed on the docking scores calculated using AutoDock Vina (AV) as a docking engine. A rule of five (Ro5) was calculated to determine whether a compound meets the criteria as an active drug orally in humans. The determination of the docking score was performed by selecting the best conformation of the protein-ligand complex that had the highest affinity (most negative Gibbs’ free energy of binding/ <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi mathvariant="normal">Δ</mi> <mi>G</mi> </math> ). As a comparison, nelfinavir (an antiretroviral drug), chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate (antimalarial drugs recommended by the FDA as emergency drugs) were used. The results showed that hesperidin, nabiximols, pectolinarin, epigallocatechin gallate, and rhoifolin had better poses than nelfinavir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate as spike glycoprotein inhibitors. Hesperidin, rhoifolin, pectolinarin, and nabiximols had about the same pose as nelfinavir but were better than chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine sulfate as Mpro inhibitors. This finding implied that several natural compounds of plants evaluated in this study showed better binding free energy compared to nelfinavir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate, which so far are recommended in the treatment of COVID-19. From quantum chemical DFT calculations, the ascending order of chemical reactivity of selected compounds was pectolinarin &gt; hesperidin &gt; rhoifolin &gt; morin &gt; epigallocatechin gallate. All isolated compounds’ C=O regions are preferable for an electrophilic attack, and O-H regions are suitable for a nucleophilic attack. Furthermore, Homo-Lumo and global descriptor values indicated a satisfactory remarkable profile for the selected compounds. As judged by the RO5 and previous study by others, the compounds kaempferol, herbacetin, eugenol, and 6-shogaol have good oral bioavailability, so they are also seen as promising candidates for the development of drugs to treat infections caused by SARS-CoV-2. The present study identified plant-based compounds that can be further investigated in vitro and in vivo as lead compounds against SARS-CoV-2.

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has brought upon the world an unprecedented challenge. During its acute dissemination, a rush for vaccines started, making the scientific community come together and contribute to the development of efficient therapeutic agents and vaccines. Natural products have been used as sources of individual molecules and extracts capable of inhibiting/neutralizing several microorganisms, including viruses. Natural extracts have shown effective results against the coronavirus family, when first tested in the outbreak of SARS-CoV-1, back in 2002. In this review, the relationship between natural extracts and SARS-CoV is discussed, while also providing insight into misinformation regarding the use of plants as possible therapeutic agents. Studies with plant extracts on coronaviruses are presented, as well as the main inhibition assays and trends for the future regarding the yet unknown long-lasting effects post-infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Graphical AbstractInhibition of proteolytic and deubiquitinase activity of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzyme by phytochemicals.

Objective Medicinal herbs are being investigated for medicationhg development against SARS-CoV-2 as a rich source of bioactive chemicals. One of the finest approaches for finding therapeutically effective drug molecules in real time is virtual screening scheme such as molecular docking in conjunction with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. These virtual techniques provide an ample opportunity for the screening of plausible inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 different target proteins from a comprehensive and extensive phytochemical library. The study was designed to identify potential phytochemicals by virtual screening against different receptor proteins. Methods In the current study, a library of plant secondary metabolites was created by manually curating 120 phytochemicals known to have antimicrobial as well as antiviral properties. In the current study, different potential phytochemicals were identified by virtual screening against various selected receptor proteins (i.e., viral main proteases, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), ADP ribose phosphatase, nonstructural proteins NSP7, NSP8, and NSP9) which are key proteins responsible for transcription, replication and maturation of SARS-CoV-2 in the host. Top three phytochemicals were selected against each viral receptor protein based on their best S-scores, RMSD values, molecular interactions, binding patterns and drug-likeness properties. Results The results of molecular docking study revealed that phytochemicals (i.e., baicalin, betaxanthin, epigallocatechin, fomecin A, gallic acid, hortensin, ichangin, kaempferol, limonoic acid, myricetin hexaacetat, pedalitin, quercetin, quercitrin, and silvestrol) have strong antiviral potential against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the reported preeminent reliable phytochemicals also revealed toxicity by no means during the evaluation through ADMET profiling. Moreover, the MD simulation study also exhibited thermal stability and stable binding affinity of the pedalitin with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and SARS-CoV-2 main protease which suggests appreciable efficacy of the lead optimization. Conclusion The biological activity and pharmacologically distinguishing characteristics of these lead compounds also satisfied as repurposing antiviral drug contenders and are worth substantial evaluation in the biological laboratory for the recommendation of being plausible antiviral drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2.

Inhibiting the main protease 3CLpro is the most common strategy in the search for antiviral drugs to fight the infection from SARS-CoV-2. We report that the natural compound eugenol is able to hamper in vitro the enzymatic activity of 3CLpro, the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, with an inhibition constant in the sub-micromolar range (Ki = 0.81 μM). Two phenylpropene analogs were also tested: the same effect was observed for estragole with a lower potency (Ki = 4.1 μM), whereas anethole was less active. The binding efficiency index of these compounds is remarkably favorable due also to their small molecular mass (MW &lt; 165 Da). We envision that nanomolar inhibition of 3CLpro is widely accessible within the chemical space of simple natural compounds.

The first cases of COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2, were reported in December 2019. The vertiginous worldwide expansion of SARS-CoV-2 caused the collapse of health systems in several countries due to the high severity of the COVID-19. In addition to the vaccines, the search for active compounds capable of preventing and/or fighting the infection has been the main direction of research. Since the beginning of this pandemic, some evidence has highlighted the importance of a phenolic-rich diet as a strategy to reduce the progression of this disease, including the severity of the symptoms. Some of these compounds (e.g., curcumin, gallic acid or quercetin) already showed capacity to limit the infection of viruses by inhibiting entry into the cell through its binding to protein Spike, regulating the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, disrupting the replication in cells by inhibition of viral proteases, and/or suppressing and modulating the host’s immune response. Therefore, this review intends to discuss the most recent findings on the potential of phenolics to prevent SARS-CoV-2.