Potential of Selected Indian Herbs for COVID-19

Introduction: Many environmental risk factors are associated with chronic inflammation. The spread of COVID-19 across the world has impacted every one of us. The first case of coronavirus was reported on 30th January 2020 in India. Study Area: India has a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak because of its climatic conditions and its people having high immunity. Maintaining social distancing and hand washing are not sufficient steps for preventing COVID-19. Indian system of traditional medicine has the potential for enhancing immunity, which can prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Material & Methods: A detailed study was carried out by analyzing national and international scientific databases (PubMed, SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Mendeley), thesis, and recognized books. Only Indian herbs with high immunity resistant power were analyzed. Epidemiological studies with information on COVID-19 risk factors and precautions were also considered for study purposes. Results: Some herbs like Ocimum tenuiflorum (Tulsi), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice), Curcuma domestica Vahl (Turmeric), Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy), Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), Cinnamon (Dalchini), Shoot of Triticumaestivum Linn. (Wheatgrass), Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh), can help in boosting immunity for COVID-19 disease. Discussion: Despite the shreds of evidence for the efficacy of these herbs in treating coronavirus induced infections; the proper dose with ideal timing for such interventions need to be verified in clinical trials. Researchers must explore the potential of herbs to reduce such epidemics and environmental threats.

Automated summary

Many environmental risk factors are associated with chronic inflammation. The first case of coronavirus was reported in India on 30th January 2020. India has the potential to deal with the coronavirus outbreak due to its climatic conditions and high immunity of its people. Herbal medicine has the potential to enhance immunity for preventing COVID-19, but further clinical trials are needed to determine the proper dosage and timing for interventions.