Alkaloids as Potential Phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2: Approaches to the Associated Pivotal Mechanisms

Mohammad Bagher Majnooni; Sajad Fakhri; Gholamreza Bahrami; Maryam Naseri; Mohammad Hosein Farzaei; Javier Echeverría

doi:10.1155/2021/6632623

Alkaloids as Potential Phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2: Approaches to the Associated Pivotal Mechanisms

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 May 13:2021:6632623. doi: 10.1155/2021/6632623. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Mohammad Bagher Majnooni¹, Sajad Fakhri², Gholamreza Bahrami^{2

3}, Maryam Naseri², Mohammad Hosein Farzaei², Javier Echeverría⁴

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
² Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
³ Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
⁴ Departamento de Ciencias del Ambiente, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Abstract

Since its inception, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has infected millions of people around the world. Therefore, it is necessary to find effective treatments against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), as it is the viral source of COVID-19. Alkaloids are one of the most widespread plant-derived natural compounds with prominent antiviral effects. Accordingly, these phytochemicals have been promising candidates towards discovering effective treatments for COVID-19. Alkaloids have shown potential anti-SARS-CoV activities via inhibiting pathogenesis-associated targets of the Coronaviridae family that are required for the virus life cycle. In the current study, the chemistry, plant sources, and antiviral effects of alkaloids, as well as their anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect with related mechanisms, are reviewed towards discovering an effective treatment against COVID-19.

Publication types

Review