Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, 26666 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar.
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2022 May 20;27(5):166. doi: 10.31083/j.fbl2705166.
Natural products with known safety profiles are a promising source for the discovery of new drug leads. Berberine presents an example of one such phytochemical that has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties against myriads of diseases, ranging from respiratory disorders to viral infections. A growing body of research supports the pluripotent therapeutic role berberine may play against the dreaded disease COVID-19. The exact pathophysiological features of COVID-19 are yet to be elucidated. However, compelling evidence suggests inflammation and immune dysregulations as major features of this disease. Being a potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agent, berberine may prove to be useful for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This review aims to revisit the pharmacological anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory benefits of berberine on a multitude of respiratory infections, which like COVID-19, are known to adversely affect the airways and lungs. We speculate that berberine may help alleviate COVID-19 via preventing cytokine storm, restoring Th1/Th2 balance, and enhancing cell-mediated immunity. Furthermore, the role this promising phytochemical plays on other important inflammatory mediators involved in respiratory disorders will be underscored. We further highlight the role of berberine against COVID-19 by underscoring direct evidence from , , and studies suggesting the inhibitory potential berberine may play against three critical SARS-CoV-2 targets, namely main protease, spike protein, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. Further preclinical and clinical trials are certainly required to further substantiate the efficacy and potency of berberine against COVID-19 in humans.
具有已知安全性的天然产物是发现新药物先导物的有前途的来源。小檗碱就是这样一种植物化学物质的一个例子，它因其抗炎和免疫调节特性而被广泛研究，可用于治疗从呼吸道疾病到病毒感染等无数疾病。越来越多的研究支持小檗碱在对抗可怕的 COVID-19 疾病方面可能发挥的多效治疗作用。COVID-19 的确切病理生理学特征尚未阐明。然而，有强有力的证据表明炎症和免疫失调是这种疾病的主要特征。作为一种有效的免疫调节和抗炎药物，小檗碱可能对 COVID-19 的预防和治疗有用。本综述旨在重新审视小檗碱在多种呼吸道感染方面的药理学抗炎和免疫调节作用，这些感染与 COVID-19 一样，已知会对气道和肺部造成不良影响。我们推测小檗碱可能通过预防细胞因子风暴、恢复 Th1/Th2 平衡和增强细胞介导的免疫来帮助缓解 COVID-19。此外，还将强调这种有前途的植物化学物质在涉及呼吸道疾病的其他重要炎症介质中的作用。我们通过强调 、 和 研究中的直接证据进一步强调了小檗碱在 COVID-19 中的作用，这些研究表明小檗碱可能对三个关键的 SARS-CoV-2 靶标（即主要蛋白酶、刺突蛋白和血管紧张素转换酶 2 受体）具有抑制潜力。还需要进一步的临床前和临床试验来进一步证实小檗碱在人类中对抗 COVID-19 的疗效和效力。
