Investigation of Cytotoxic Effects and Antiviral Efficacy of Six Medicinal Plants against SARS-CoV-2

Year 2022, , 811 - 816, 30.09.2022

Bülent Işık , Hasan Asil , Harun Alp , Doç. Dr. Demet Cansaran Duman

https://doi.org/10.16899/jcm.1165597

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Aim: Today, the COVID-19 pandemic, which causes deaths in 224 countries around the world, continues to show its effect all over the world. However, unfortunately, there are few studies that determine the effect of natural products derived from plants on COVID-19. However, as it is known, the source of most drugs is plants and medicinal aromatic plants have been used frequently for therapeutic purposes since the existence of humanity. The aim of this study is to investigate the cytotoxic effects of six medicinal plants such as Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.), Laurel (Lauris nobilis), Buckwheat (Lavandula stoechas) and Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata) and their antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro conditions.
Material and Method: This study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, plants were collected and extracts were obtained. At the beginning of the second stage, cytotoxic effects on vero cells at non-cytotoxic broad-spectrum concentrations against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture of six medicinal plants were investigated. In this step, the concentration of six ethnobotanically important medicinal plants that were not cytotoxic to SARS-CoV-2 was determined. In the continuation of the second stage, the plants were evaluated for the determination of viral replication inhibition and their antiviral effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2. In this step, in vitro antiviral effects of plants against SARS-CoV-2 were determined at a concentration that did not show cytotoxic effects..
Results: The concentration of six plants used in the study without cytotoxic effects was determined.. Among the plants examined, it was determined that the only plant that was effective against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro conditions was the licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra). The licorice plant was found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro at the 2nd dilution (1:4) after the initial concentration.
Conclusion: According to the findings obtained from our study, it was determined that the licorice plant was effective against the SARS-CoV-2 in vitro conditions. Supported by further studies, it can be thought that our findings may contribute to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Antiviral Efficacy, Plant Extract, Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.), Laurel (Lauris nobilis), Buckwheat (Lavandula stoechas), Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata).

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2, Antiviral Efficacy, Plant Extract, Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.), Laurel (Lauris nobilis), Buckwheat (Lavandula stoechas), Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. Spicata)., SARS-CoV-2, Antiviral Efficacy, Plant Extract, Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.), Laurel (Lauris nobilis), Buckwheat (Lavandula stoechas), Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. Spicata).

Supporting Institution

TUBİTAK

Project Number

18 AG 020

Thanks

Authors would like to thank to Aykut Ozkul, DVM, PhD, for his kind helps and mentorships during the antiviral assays.

Altı Tıbbi Bitkinin Sitotoksik Etkileri ve SARS-CoV-2'ye Karşı Antiviral Etkinliğinin Araştırılması

Abstract

Amaç: Bugün dünya genelinde 224 ülkede ölümlere neden olan COVID-19 salgını tüm dünyada etkisini göstermeye devam etmektedir. Ancak bitkilerden elde edilen doğal ürünlerin COVID-19 üzerindeki etkisini belirleyen malesef az sayıda çalışma bulunmaktadır. Ancak bilindiği üzere çoğu ilaçların kaynağı bitkilerdir ve tıbbi aromatik bitkiler insanlığın varoluşundan bu yana tedavi amaçlı sıkça kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Meyan (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Safran (Crocus sativus L.), Çörek otu (Nigella sativa L.), Defne (Lauris nobilis), Karabaş (Lavandula stoechas) ve Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata) gibi altı tibbi bitkinin sitotoksik etkileri ve SARS-CoV-2’ ye karşı antiviral etkinliklerini in vitro koşullarda araştırmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışma, iki aşamada gerçekleştirildi. İlk aşamada bitkiler toplandı ve ekstraktlar elde edildi. İkinci aşamanın başlangıcında, altı tıbbi bitkinin hücre kültüründe SARS-CoV-2’ye karşı geniş spektrumlu konsantrasyonlarda Vero hücreleri üzerindeki sitotoksik etkinlikleri incelendi. Bu aşamada, etnobotanik açıdan önemli altı tıbbi bitkinin SARS-CoV-2 üzerine sitotoksik olmadığı konsantrasyon belirlenmiştir. İkinci aşamanın devamında, bitkilerin viral replikasyon inhibisyonunun belirlenmesi ve SARS-CoV-2’ ye karşı antiviral etkinlikleri değerlendirildi. Bu aşamada, bitkilerin sitotoksik etki göstermeyen konsantrasyonda SARS-CoV-2’ ye karşı in vitro koşullarda antiviral etkileri belirlenmiştir.
Bulgular: Çalışmada kullanılan altı bitkinin sitotoksik etkisi olmayan konsantrasyonu belirlendi. İncelenen bitkiler içerisinde SARS-CoV-2’ ye karşı in vitro koşullarda etkili olan tek bitkinin meyan bitkisi (Glycyrrhiza glabra) olduğu belirlendi. Meyan bitkisinin, başlangıç konsantrasyonunun ardından 2. seyreltmede (1:4) SARS-CoV-2’ yi in vitro koşullarda inhibe ettiği tespit edilmiştir.
Sonuç; Çalışmamızdan elde edilen bulgulara göre, Meyan bitkisinin in vitro şartlarda SARS-CoV-2’ ye karşı etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bulgularımızın daha ileri çalışmalar ile desteklenerek COVID-19 pandemisi ile mücadeleye katkısı olabileceği düşünülebilir.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2, Antiviral Etkinlik, Bitki Ekstraktı, Meyan (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Safran (Crocus sativus L.), Çörek Otu (Nigella sativa L.), Defne (Lauris nobilis), Karabaş (Lavandula stoechas), Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata)., SARS-CoV-2, Antiviral Etkinlik, Bitki Ekstraktı, Meyan (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Safran (Crocus sativus L.), Çörek Otu (Nigella sativa L.), Defne (Lauris nobilis), Karabaş (Lavandula stoechas), Zahter (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata).

Project Number

18 AG 020

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