key: cord-1034180-6509mq56
authors: Oladele, Johnson O.; Ajayi, Ebenezer I.; Oyeleke, Oyedotun M.; Oladele, Oluwaseun T.; Olowookere, Boyede D.; Adeniyi, Boluwaji M.; Oyewole, Olu I.; Oladiji, Adenike T.
title: A systematic review on COVID-19 pandemic with special emphasis on curative potentials of Nigeria based medicinal plants
date: 2020-09-09
journal: Heliyon
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04897
sha: 738530ed0f676d2697d2a2c7f007206c31d8a252
doc_id: 1034180
cord_uid: 6509mq56

Despite the frightening mortality rate associated with COVID-19, there is no known approved drug to effectively combat the pandemic. COVID-19 clinical manifestations include fever, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, and other complications. At present, there is no known effective treatment or vaccine that can mitigate/inhibit SARS-CoV-2. Available clinical intervention for COVID-19 is only palliative and limited to support. Thus, there is an exigent need for effective and non-invasive treatment. This article evaluates the possible mechanism of actions of SARS-CoV-2 and present Nigeria based medicinal plants which have pharmacological and biological activities that can mitigate the hallmarks of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 mode of actions includes hyper-inflammation characterized by a severe and fatal hyper-cytokinaemia with multi-organ failure; immunosuppression; reduction of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enhance pulmonary vascular permeability causing damage to the alveoli; and further activated by open reading frame (ORF)3a, ORF3b, and ORF7a via c-Jun N- terminal kinase (JNK) pathway which induces lung damage. These mechanisms of action of SARS-CoV-2 can be mitigated by a combination therapy of medicinal herbs based on their pharmacological activities. Since the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are multifactorial with co-morbidities, we strongly recommend the use of combined therapy such that two or more herbs with specific therapeutic actions are administered to combat the mediators of the disease.

Plants thаt аrе copious саrоtеnоіdѕ, vіtаmіn C оr flаvоnоіdѕ саn асt as аn іmmunе-ѕtіmulаnt.

Mеdісіnаl рlаntѕ thаt аrе rich іn flаvоnоіdѕ may аlѕо роѕѕеѕѕ anti-inflammatory асtіоn. Thеу 414 іnduсе іntеrfеrоn рrоduсtіоn, еnhаnсе thе асtіvіtу оf lуmрhосуtеѕ аnd іnсrеаѕе phagocytosis.

Exаmрlеѕ of these immunomodulatory рlаntѕ іnсludе gаrlіс which rеmаrkаblу enhance 

Pro-IL-1B

Multi-organ failure

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