This chapter presents research advances done for the search of suitable drugs from medicinal plants against viruses with special consideration of severe acute respiratory syndrome -coronovirus-2.
Medicinal plants have been extensively used for treating a variety of infectious diseases for a long time. Drug discovery from these plants involves a versatile approach combining phytochemical, botanical, and molecular techniques. A broad range of active phytochemicals, like alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins, extracted from herbal plants, and some volatile essential oils extracted from culinary herbs, herbal teas, and spices possess antiviral property. Medicinal plants have proven to be potent sources of antiviral agents with some main advantages over conventional drug therapy due to their broad healing potency and causing no side effects. This chapter presents research advances done for the search of suitable drugs from medicinal plants against viruses with special consideration of severe acute respiratory syndrome -coronovirus-2.