Articolo in rivista, 2020, ENG, 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109211

Roles of flavonoids against coronavirus infection

Russo M.; Moccia S.; Spagnuolo C.; Tedesco I.; Russo G.L.

National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, Avellino, 83100, National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, 83100, Avellino, Italy, , Italy

In terms of public health, the 21st century has been characterized by coronavirus pandemics: in 2002-03 the virus SARS-CoV caused SARS; in 2012 MERS-CoV emerged and in 2019 a new human betacoronavirus strain, called SARS-CoV-2, caused the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. During the course of the current epidemic, medical challenges to save lives and scientific research aimed to reveal the genetic evolution and the biochemistry of the vital cycle of the new pathogen could lead to new preventive and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2. Up to now, there is no cure for COVID-19 and waiting for an efficacious vaccine, the development of "savage" protocols, based on "old" anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drugs represents a valid and alternative therapeutic approach. As an alternative or additional therapeutic/preventive option, different in silico and in vitro studies demonstrated that small natural molecules, belonging to polyphenol family, can interfere with various stages of coronavirus entry and replication cycle. Here, we reviewed the capacity of well-known (e.g. quercetin, baicalin, luteolin, hesperetin, gallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate) and uncommon (e.g. scutellarein, amentoflavone, papyriflavonol A) flavonoids, secondary metabolites widely present in plant tissues with antioxidant and anti-microbial functions, to inhibit key proteins involved in coronavirus infective cycle, such as PL, 3CL, NTPase/helicase. Due to their pleiotropic activities and lack of systemic toxicity, flavonoids and their derivative may represent target compounds to be tested in future clinical trials to enrich the drug arsenal against coronavirus infections.

Chemico-biological interactions (Print) 328

Keywords

Coronavirus, Flavonoids, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2

CNR authors

Russo Maria, Russo Gian Luigi, Spagnuolo Carmela, Moccia Stefania, Tedesco Idolo

CNR institutes

ISA – Istituto di scienza dell'alimentazione

ID: 427768

Year: 2020

Type: Articolo in rivista

Creation: 2020-08-20 00:20:19.000

Last update: 2021-03-25 18:36:26.000

External IDs

CNR OAI-PMH: oai:it.cnr:prodotti:427768

DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109211

Scopus: 2-s2.0-85088860691