CHAPTER 6: The Potential Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products, Herbs, and Mushrooms Against COVID-19

An acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), otherwise known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), recently emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has since spread rapidly across the globe. As of 30 January 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic was officially declared as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Coronaviruses are enveloped positive-sense RNA viruses that can cause a variety of diseases in both birds and mammals. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel strain that has not been previously identified in humans. However, it is the third introduction of a highly pathogenic coronavirus into the human population since SARS-CoV-1 was identified in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), which was first identified in 2012. To date, no effective or specific treatment has been identified for SARS-CoV-2; despite this, certain candidates have shown great efficacy in viral inhibition of the disease. Natural substances have previously exhibited anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, the possibilities of natural substances as effective treatments against SARS-CoV-2 may seem promising. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the possible use of natural products against SARS-CoV-2 by evaluating their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects, which have been assessed previously in laboratory conditions.