A Review on Therapeutic Potential of Indian Herbal Plants to Counter Viral Infection and Disease Pathogenesis

Abstract: Herbal plant extracts or purified phytocomponents have been extensively acknowledged in treating several diseases since time immemorial. The Indian Ayurvedic system and Chinese traditional medicines have documented the medicinal properties of important herbs and their effects. In Ayurveda, polyherbal formulation is known to exhibit better therapeutic efficacy compared to single herb. This review focuses on six key ayurvedic herbal plants namely, Tinosporacordifolia (giloi/guduchi), Withaniasomnifera (Ashwagandha), Glycyrrhiza glabra/Licorice (Mulethi), Zingiberofficinale (Ginger), Emblicaofficinalis(Amla) and Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi).Each of these herbal plants possesses specific phytocomponents that aid them in fighting infections and keeping body healthy and stress free. These medicinal plants are known to exhibit several protective features against various diseases or infections. Here we have particularly emphasized on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties which are common in these six plants. Recent literature analysis has revealed Ashwagandha to be protective for Covid-19 too. The formulation from such herbs can exhibit synergism and hence better effectiveness against infection and related diseases. Hence, the importance of these medicinal herbs becomes highly prominent as it maintains the harmonious balance by way of boosting the immunity in a human body. Further, greater mechanistic analyses are required to prove their efficacy to fight infectious diseases like Covid-19. It further opens the arena for in-depth research of identifying and isolating the active components from these herbs and evaluating their potency to inhibit viral infections as polyherbal formulation.