EGYVIR: An immunomodulatory herbal extract with potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 11; p. e0241739
• Main Authors: Roshdy, Wael H., Rashed, Helmy A., Kandeil, Ahmed, Mostafa, Ahmed, Moatasim, Yassmin, Kutkat, Omnia, Abo Shama, Noura M., Gomaa, Mokhtar R., El-Sayed, Ibrahim H., El Guindy, Nancy M., Naguib, Amal, Kayali, Ghazi, Ali, Mohamed A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 18.11.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus - drug effects; Animals; Antiviral activity; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral drugs; Bioavailability; Biology and life sciences; Care and treatment; Cell lines; Cell Nucleus - drug effects; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Curcuma - chemistry; Curcumin; Cytokine storm; Cytokines; Disease; Funding; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; Humans; Immune response; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Immunomodulation; Immunomodulators; Infections; Influenza; Interleukin 6; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Kinetics; Laboratories; Mass spectrometry; Medicine and health sciences; Mitochondrial DNA; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit - metabolism; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha - metabolism; Nuclear transport; Pandemics; Pathogenesis; Physical Sciences; Piper nigrum; Piper nigrum - chemistry; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Population; Public health; Research and Analysis Methods; Respiratory diseases; SARS-CoV-2 - drug effects; Scientific imaging; Seeds; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Supervision; Testing; Translocation; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Vaccines; Vero Cells; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Viruses; Egypt; Cairo Egypt; United States > US; Giza Egypt
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241739
• ISSN: 1932-6203

Due to the challenges for developing vaccines in devastating pandemic situations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), developing and screening of novel antiviral agents are peremptorily demanded. Herein, we developed EGYVIR as a potent immunomodulatory herbal extract with promising antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. It constitutes of a combination of black pepper extract with curcumin extract. The antiviral effect of EGYVIR extract is attributed to the two key phases of the disease in severe cases. First, the inhibition of the nuclear translocation of NF-kβ p50, attenuating the SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated cytokine storm. Additionally, the EGYVIR extract has an in vitro virucidal effect for SARS-CoV-2. The in vitro study of EGYVIR extract against SARS-CoV-2 on Huh-7 cell lines, revealed the potential role of NF-kβ/TNFα/IL-6 during the infection process. EGYVIR antagonizes the NF-kβ pathway in-silico and in-vitro studies. Consequently, it has the potential to hinder the release of IL-6 and TNFα, decreasing the production of essential cytokines storm elements.