Antiviral properties of caffeic acid phenethyl ester and its potential application

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is found in a variety of plants and well-known the active ingredient of the honeybee propolis. CAPE showed anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antimitogenic, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties in several studies. The beneficial effects of CAPE on different health issues attracted scientists to make more studies on CAPE. Specifically, the anti-viral effects of CAPE and its molecular mechanisms may reveal the important properties of virus-induced diseases. CAPE and its targets may have important roles to design new therapeutics and understand the molecular mechanisms of virus-related diseases. In this mini-review, we summarize the antiviral effects of CAPE under the light of medical and chemical literature.