Saponin for COVID-19

 Saponin has been reported as potentially beneficial for COVID-19 in the following studies.
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 saponin in detail.
Abayomi Banjo et al., Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF- α) and Antiviral Activities of Artemisia SPP. Extracts on SARS-COV2, Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, doi:10.4314/rjmhs.v8i2.2
BackgroundThe challenges posed by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including treatment resistance, pandemic threats, and vaccine failure, necessitate the need for locally sourced efficacious therapeutic interventions. We investigated the in-vitro antiviral effects of natural medicinal compounds from Artemisia spp., validated by molecular docking, on TNF-α levels in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from a designated Lagos COVID-19 isolation centre.MethodsBioactive chemicals in ethanol and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts from freshly collected, dried, and powdered A. afra and A. annua leaves were characterised using UHPLC. A cross-sectional study of 253 hospitalised SARS-CoV-2 patients was conducted to evaluate the extracts' antiviral activity through serum TNF-α modulation; and docking techniques to determine compound-TNF-α binding affinities.ResultsPhytochemical screening of A. annua revealed therapeutic constituents ((lactones, monoterpenes, flavonoids, and sesquiterpenes (artemisinin, rutin, and phenolic acids)) confirmed by UHPLC. The dichloromethane extract of A. afra demonstrated greater TNF-α inhibition in critically ill COVID-19 patients unlike ethanol extracts. Molecular docking validated TNF-α binding affinity for most isolated compounds. ConclusionsArtemisia spp. promises antiviral-proinflammatory cytokine regulation, justifying clinical COVID-19 prophylaxis/therapeutic research, especially against resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants. This could reduce vaccination dependency in impoverished nations while addressing vaccine efficacy and local immunity gaps.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2025;8(2):181-197
Adha et al., Herbal Medicines as Complementary Therapy for Managing Complications in COVID-19 Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, doi:10.2147/dmso.s498774