Potential of Natural Therapeutics Against SARS-CoV-2: Phenolic Compounds and Terpenes

Coronavirus disease-2019 caused by severe-coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged in China in late 2019 has created an unprecedented global health crisis affecting every sector of human life and causing great damage to the world economy. SARS-CoV- 2 is a viral respiratory tract virus that not only causes upper respiratory tract infection but also causes pneumonia and therefore mortality in some patients. There is currently no proven drug for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Many chemical and natural active compounds have been testing by the researchers for the treatment. These herbal-based antivirals have been the subject of many studies as they are less toxic and less likely to develop resistance by infectious microorganisms. It has been reported in many studies that natural therapeutics inhibit viral replication. In this review, phenolic compounds and terpenes, which are natural therapeutics known to have antiviral activity, have been evaluated for their potential in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.