Pharmacological Perspectives of Ayurvedic Herbs viz. Alstonia scholaris L., Picrorhiza kurroa, Swertia chirata and Caesalpinia crista Against COVID-19: A Mini-Review

Pandemic, COVID-19 came into existence in late December 2019 at Wuhan, China. To cure the COVID-19 and reduction in morbidity, the development of potential vaccines and antiviral drugs may take months or years. To reduce the pressure on healthcare infrastructure, traditional medicines may use as an alternative measure. The rationale of the current study was to provide the pharmacological details of Ayurvedic herbs viz. Alstonia scholaris L., Picrorhiza kurroa, Swertia chirata and Caesalpinia crista w.r.t. symptoms of COVID-19. The available information on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology was collected via a library and electronic searches in Sci-Finder, Pub-Med, Science Direct, Google Scholar for the period of up to 31 August 2020. The major symptoms of COVID-19 include pro-inflammation, inhibition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme II (ACE2) and reactive oxygen species. A literature search revealed that all herbs under study are potent against two or more symptoms of COVID-19. All four Ayurvedic herbs viz. Alstonia scholaris L., Picrorhiza kurroa, Swertia chirata and Caesalpinia crista may be a good option, including other traditional drugs during the outbreak of COVID-19. In-depth experimental, preclinical and clinical studies are required in the future to develop a potent drug against COVID-19.