Affiliation:
1. Herbal Medicine Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
2. Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many reports have highlighted several potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates, including phenolic compounds. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of nine common phenolic compounds found in plants using the in vitro cellular infection model. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of curcumin, quercetin, gallic acid, catechin, rutin, kaempferol, naringenin, coumaric acid and caffeic acid were evaluated on SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells by using a cytopathic effect (CPE)-based assay. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in human lung cells, A549 expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2, was evaluated by the RT-qPCR technique. S1-ACE2 interaction and 3CL protease activity assays were also performed for the potent compound. Of the nine phenolic compounds, only curcumin inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 induced CPE activity (EC50 of 13.63 µM) in Vero E6 cells, but with a low selective index (SI) value. Interestingly, curcumin exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in A549 cells with an EC50 of 4.57 µM and an SI value of 7.96. S1-ACE2 interaction and 3CL protease inhibitory activities of curcumin were also observed. In conclusion, curcumin showed a moderate in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The true potential of curcumin as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 candidate could be further evaluated in a COVID-19 animal model.
Funder
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Subject
Complementary and alternative medicine,Plant Science,Drug Discovery,Pharmacology,General Medicine