The document discusses the use of phytomedicines, including dietary and herbal therapies, as preventive measures against COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong immune system. It highlights various immunomodulatory and antiviral herbs, and the potential use of essential oils for air sterilization against the virus. The conclusion suggests that these natural remedies could serve as complementary therapies for preventing COVID-19, pending further experimental validation.

1. PHYTOMEDICINES AS PROPHYLACTIC AND
DIETARY THERAPY FOR COVID-19
PREVENTION
Zuli Shingala
M.Pharm (Pharmacognosy)
GUIDE – Dr. Reshma Jain
Faculty of Pharmacy,
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda,
Vadodara
EP-14
1

2. Introduction
 Currently our country has started vaccination
to frontline corona worriers, but that doesn’t
mean that now we don’t have to take
precautions. Coronavirus is still out there.
 Since immune system of patients plays an
essential role in COVID-19 infection, we can
use food and herbs as dietary or
complementary therapy to prevent the
infection and strengthen immunity.
 Close contact between person to person
increases the risk of transmission via droplets,
such as from an infected person through
coughing or sneezing or the interaction
between health workers and patients with
COVID-19.
 Aromatherapy has been used for thousands of
years in Egypt and India to treat various
diseases, and the antimicrobial and antiviral
activity of essential oils have been confirmed
by numerous studies.
2

3. Immunomodulatory herbs :
Ashwagandha
Turmeric
Amla
Tulsi
Ginseng
Giloy
Piper 3
Ashwagandha improves the body's defense against
disease by improving the cell-mediated immunity. It
also possesses potent antioxidant properties
that help protect against cellular damage caused by
free radicals.
Turmeric is a natural way to help bolster the immune
system by increasing the immunomodulating capacity
of the body. adding extra turmeric into diet during
periods of stress or during flu season
to help give immune system a little boost.
The Tulsi drops not only works
on improving your immunity but even improve the
rate of formation of new blood cells. You can take
these drops to fight with various kinds of infections,
fever, cold, sore throat, cough, flu and for
detoxifying your body.
Giloy acts wonderfully in chronic, recurrent fevers. It
is an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic herb which helps
to boost your immunity to fight against the infection
and also helps in early recovery.

4. Activity of essential oils :
 Using essential oils vapors could increase their application against airborne
bacteria and viruses.
 The anti-influenza virus activity of some essential oil vapors, such as that of
Citrus bergamia (bergamot), Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus), Pelargonium
graveolens (geranium), Cinnamomum zeylanicum leaf oil (cinnamon), and
Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass), has been reported.
 Their inhibitory mechanism is based on the inactivation of the principal external
proteins of the influenza virus.
 The hemagglutinin protein of the virus appeared to be a major target of most of
these oil vapors, and this may provide therapeutic benefits for people suffering
from influenza or other respiratory viral infections.
 Aerosolized tea tree oil reportedly inhibits airborne viral particles of H11N9
subtype avian influenza virus.
4

5. Antiviral herbs :
 Surgical masks are good at preventing virus spread into the air and transmission to humans. However,
after mask removal, the virus remains on the mask and is probably re-aerosolized, increasing the risk of
human infection. Mask coating with an antiviral compound could be advantageous, but disinfectant
toxicity to humans must be considered.
 Such anti-viral herbs are :
 Terminalia chebula against respiratory syncytial virus
 Curcumin against hepatitis A & B virus
 Quercetin against Dangue Virus
 Sambucus nigra agains influenza virus
 Gallic acid from Woodfordia fruticose against Enterovirus 71
 Epigallocatechin from green tea against Enterovirus 71
 Many restaurants use cleaning detergents for surface sanitization; however, their safety and disinfection
efficiency need further consideration. Natural antiviral extracts from herbs could be added to cleaning
detergents to increase their anti-SARS229 CoV-2 activity.
5

6. Conclusion
 Air sterilization without human health damage using essential
oils could be a good way to prevent COVID-19. However, the
minimum essential oil concentration needed for SARS-CoV-2
inhibition should be investigated.
 These studies provides obvious evidence supporting dietary
therapy and herbal medicine as potential effective antivirals
against SARS-CoV-2 and as preventive agents against COVID-
19.
 Thus, dietary therapy and herbal medicine could be a
complementary preventive therapy for COVID-19. However,
these hypotheses require experimental validation in SARS-
Cov-2 infection models and COVID-19 patients. 6

7. References
 Dietary therapy and herbal medHudson, for COVID-19 prevention: A review
and perspective, Suraphan Panyod, Chi-Tang Ho, Lee-Yan Sheen, Journal
of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, June 2020.
 Antiviral Natural Products and Herbal Medicines, Liang-Tzung Lin Wen-Chan
Hsu and Chun-Ching Lin, Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, May
2014, volume 4, issue 1, 24-35.
 COVID-19, prevention and treatment with herbal medicine in the herbal markets of
Salé Prefecture, North-Western Morocco, Noureddine Chaachouay, European
Journal of Integrative medicine, Jan 2021, issue 42
 Current prevention of COVID-19 : natural products and herbal medicines, Junqing
Huang, Gabriel Tao, Jingwen Liu, Frontiers in pharmacology, Oct 2020, volume 11.
 Anti-influenza virus activity of essential oils and vapors, Amrican journal
of essential oils and natural products, Selvarani Vimalanathan, James
Hudson, Aug 2014, Issue 2, 47-53
7