Nigella Sativa Can Act as a Protective Agent to Fight Against Covid-19: An Update

Mehrukh Zehravi; Mudasir Maqbool; Irfat Ara

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) causes Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), which began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and has since spread around the world. There are currently no effective antiviral medicines authorised for these coronavirus strains. Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, remdesivir, favipiravir, umifenovir, interferon-α, interferon-β, and other drugs are used to treat COVID19. There is no specific, effective, or proven conventional treatment to treat COVID-19 patients. As a result, herbal medicine can be used as an option to treat COVID-19 patients, as many traditional herbs include antiviral and other medical characteristics. Natural products contain a large number of physiologically active compounds with antiviral activity, suggesting that they could be useful as antiviral therapeutics for coronavirus infections. Nigella sativa has shown antiviral effects in numerous of these items. Other pharmacological characteristics of N sativa include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunostimulatory capabilities. The antiviral properties of N sativa have been demonstrated in the literature for a variety of viruses. Natural chemicals identified in N. sativa, such as nigellidine, α-hederin, hederagenin, thymohydroquinone, and thymoquinone, were revealed to be potentially active inhibitors of coronavirus. To establish the activity of N sativa against coronavirus, preclinical proof is required. If preclinical studies show that N sativa has clinical activity, a clinical Phase I trial in patients with COVID19 is recommended to further investigate its clinical potential.The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) causes Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), which began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and has since spread around the world. There are currently no effective antiviral medicines authorised for these coronavirus strains. Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, remdesivir, favipiravir, umifenovir, interferon-α, interferon-β, and other drugs are used to treat COVID19. There is no specific, effective, or proven conventional treatment to treat COVID-19 patients. As a result, herbal medicine can be used as an option to treat COVID-19 patients, as many traditional herbs include antiviral and other medical characteristics. Natural products contain a large number of physiologically active compounds with antiviral activity, suggesting that they could be useful as antiviral therapeutics for coronavirus infections. Nigella sativa has shown antiviral effects in numerous of these items. Other pharmacological characteristics of N sativa include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunostimulatory capabilities. The antiviral properties of N sativa have been demonstrated in the literature for a variety of viruses. Natural chemicals identified in N. sativa, such as nigellidine, α-hederin, hederagenin, thymohydroquinone, and thymoquinone, were revealed to be potentially active inhibitors of coronavirus. To establish the activity of N sativa against coronavirus, preclinical proof is required. If preclinical studies show that N sativa has clinical activity, a clinical Phase I trial in patients with COVID19 is recommended to further investigate its clinical potential.

Abstract

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