Somniferine, a novel dimeric opium alkaloid

Exploration of medicinal plants as potential therapeutics against COVID-19: molecular insights and drug development prospects with other significant medicinal information a retrospective exposition

OBJECTIVES

The study aims to explore the potential of medicinal plants and their phytoconstituents as effective inhibitors of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The focus is on investigating specific medicinal plants known for their pharmacological properties, such as: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, to determine their viability in developing COVID-19 treatments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study involves a comprehensive study of medicinal plants, including: Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil), known for their beneficial health effects. Molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the interactions between phytoconstituents from these plants and SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The compounds' drug-like characteristics and safety profiles were also evaluated to determine their potential as therapeutic agents.

RESULTS

The molecular docking studies revealed that the phytoconstituents from the studied medicinal plants exhibit favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. These compounds demonstrated promising drug-like characteristics and safety profiles, indicating their suitability for further development as COVID-19-fighting medications.

DISCUSSION

The results indicate that medicinal plants and their bioactive substances hold significant potential for developing therapies against COVID-19. The ability of these organic substances to interact with key viral proteins and provide various therapeutic benefits highlights their potential as multi-functional treatment options. However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to understand the full scope of their therapeutic efficacy and safety in clinical settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicinal plants and their phyto-constituents represent a promising avenue for developing effective treatments for COVID-19. The favourable interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins and the promising drug-like characteristics observed in this study suggest that these natural compounds could be integral in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research and clinical trials are essential to fully validating their potential and translating these findings into practical medical applications.

Identification of bioactive molecule from Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and has been declared as pandemic disease by World Health Organization. Lack of targeted therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-2019 have triggered the scientific community to develop new vaccines or drugs against this novel virus. Many synthetic compounds and antimalarial drugs are undergoing clinical trials. The traditional medical practitioners widely use Indian medicinal plant Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) natural constituents, called withanolides for curing various diseases. The main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a vital role in disease propagation by processing the polyproteins which are required for its replication. Hence, it denotes a significant target for drug discovery. In the present study, we evaluate the potential of 40 natural chemical constituents of Ashwagandha to explore a possible inhibitor against main protease of SARS-CoV-2 by adopting the computational approach. The docking study revealed that four constituents of Ashwagandha; Withanoside II (-11.30 Kcal/mol), Withanoside IV (-11.02 Kcal/mol), Withanoside V (-8.96 Kcal/mol) and Sitoindoside IX (-8.37 Kcal/mol) exhibited the highest docking energy among the selected natural constituents. Further, MD simulation study of 100 ns predicts Withanoside V possess strong binding affinity and hydrogen-bonding interactions with the protein active site and indicates its stability in the active site. The binding free energy score also correlates with the highest score of -87.01 ± 5.01 Kcal/mol as compared to other selected compounds. In conclusion, our study suggests that Withanoside V in Ashwagandha may be serve as a potential inhibitor against M^pro of SARS-CoV-2 to combat COVID-19 and may have an antiviral effect on nCoV.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.