The Perspectives of Medicinal Plants for COVID-19 Treatment: A Review

TLDR: This review aimed to summarize some important medicinal plants with herbal formulae and guidelines which are used to treat viral disease especially pandemic disease COVID-19, and some natural herbal compounds prepared from existing medicinal plants available surrounding us have demonstrated encouraging antiviral properties.

Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID–19 as a pandemic disease due to its rapid spreading worldwide, caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that has caused many fatalities. Until now, no effective treatment in the form of anti-virus medication or vaccine has been available for the disease. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize some important medicinal plants with herbal formulae and guidelines which are used to treat viral disease especially pandemic disease COVID-19. Based on this argument, an online search was performed, which assisted to identify a group of plant species harboring antiviral properties. In the recent past, some natural herbal compounds prepared from existing medicinal plants available surrounding us have demonstrated encouraging antiviral properties. This review can be used as guidance of traditional medicine for the alternative treatment of COVID-19 disease with the utilization of medicinal plants. As COVID-19 has no specific treatments or vaccines in our hands, we must continue our investigation to find the most suitable treatment for this pandemic.