The novel coronavirus, acute respiratory coronavirus syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, causing the 2019 coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).
COVID-19 is a highly communicable disease that has spread to more than 191 countries and regions around the world. To date, 97.61 million cases have been diagnosed and more than 2 million people have lost their lives.
Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis reveal that SARS-CoV-2 is associated with SARS bat virus. However, the main pathways and intermediates of SARS-CoV-2 jump to humans remain unclear; researchers have continued to study what, when and how this zoonosis occurred. Meanwhile, clinical trials are underway to find effective antiviral drugs or prophylactic vaccines for COVID-19.
A team of researchers in China – at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine – recently studied the medicinal properties of Yinqiao powder in treating COVID-19 symptoms. Their results were recently published in Phytotherapy Research.
Can traditional Chinese medicine help treat the symptoms of COVID-19?
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a complete system that plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Several regions in China have been pursuing TCM-based prevention and treatment plans for COVID-19, with remarkable results.
After more than 2,000 years of development, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has created a complete and unique system from disease detection to prognosis, which plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of human infectious diseases. . ”
Based on big data analysis, it was found that Yinqiao powder is the basic formulation used to treat early levels of COVID-19. According to pharmacological studies, Yinqiao powder has antitussive and expectorant effects, reduces acute lung injury, improves lung function, relieves lung fibrosis, improves immune response to viruses, and reduces the adverse effects of drugs. today.
Active ingredient in Yinqiao powder and their main functions
The active ingredients in Yinqiao powder were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis containing rutin and hesperidin. Rutin binds to the major protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 with greater affinity than drugs such as remdesivir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine. Studies show that rutin may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 by reducing interleukin-6 (IL-6).
Hesperidin, on the other hand, has been found to have an inhibitory effect on human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptors (ACE2), GRP78, TMPRSS2, and AT1R and thus may be effective in COVID-19 treatment. Although some bioactive substances are being studied for their ability to treat COVID-19, in-depth studies on the ability of Yinqiao powder to treat COVID-19 are rare.
Exploring the active ingredients and possible mechanisms of Yinqiao powder in the treatment of COVID-19
The researchers recently used several methods to study the active ingredients, targets, and potential mechanisms of Yinqiao powder in the treatment of COVID-19. They used methods such as DisGeNET target selection and scoring, protein-protein interaction network construction, drug-gene-ingredient network construction, molecular dock, and surface plasmon resorption (SPR) analysis, gene stress analysis, min. -expression of gynecology (GO) function, and Kyoto Pathway Analysis of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).
The researchers also predicted the therapeutic effect of Yinqiao powder with the help of TCManti-COVID-19 (TCMATCOV). Yinqiao powder has an intervention score of 20.16.
In our study, 30 ingredients of Yinqiao powder were extracted from the OB and DL-based TCMSP database, and five ingredients, namely hesperetin, eriodictyol, luteolin, quercetin, and naringenin, were tested by LC study – MS. ”
Luteolin, eriodictyol, quercetin, and naringenin were the other effective active ingredients present in Yinqiao powder that work against COVID-19. The main proteins in Yinqiao powder were IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), mitogen-activated 3-kinase protein (MAPK3), and tumor protein P53 (TP53). Ingredient-targeted drug network analysis revealed that drugs such as Jinyinhua, Jingjiesui, Lianqiao, Bohe, Jiegeng, and Gancao have the potential to improve COVID-19 patient symptoms.
Analysis of the drug-gene-target drug network revealed that Jinyinhua, Lianqiao, Jingjiesui, Jiegeng, Bohe, and Gancao have anti-COVID-19 effects. Some of these drugs have been shown to have obvious benefits in improving the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients.
According to the authors, the possible mechanisms by which Yinqiao powder can help treat COVID-19 are the TNF signal pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, signal pathway T-cell receptor, and MAPK signal pathway. They believe this study offers a new perspective for the detection of potential drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.
Although these signaling pathways were associated with the occurrence and development of COVID – 19, there is currently no trial to further confirm the specific role of Yinqiao powder against COVID – 19 in these signaling pathways. “