ABSTRACT
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that emerged in December 2019 from Wuhan, China, and has since caused a global pandemic. Children, pregnant women, the elderly population, immunocompromised patients, and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes are highly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 infects various cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor, which is found on the surface of cells in various organs including the lungs, heart, kidneys, brain, and intestines. Since the emergence of COVID-19, there have been continuous efforts to develop an effective therapeutic strategy for the management of infection; however, none of them have proved to be highly effective in countering SARS-CoV-2 infection. Medicinal plants have a huge unexplored reservoir of bioactive molecules against various diseases. Flavonoids are an extensively studied class of bioactive molecules and have been reported to have antiviral properties that could potentially benefit during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) have been found to have antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, which may help reduce the risk of respiratory infections in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Therefore, in the present chapter, we intend to provide an in-depth analysis of the potential of different flavonoids for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a prime focus on major flavonoids, their mechanism of action against viral infections, including their potential for targeting SARS-CoV-2, limitations, and future scope. However, further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as to determine the optimal dosage, duration, and safety of flavonoids in patients with SARS-CoV-2. This up-to-date information could contribute to existing knowledge of flavonoids and their mechanism in the development of remedies for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
