Medicinal Plant Extracts and Herbal Formulations: Plant Solutions for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection

The highly valued area of traditional medicine includes medicinal plants and the chemical compounds found in them that have therapeutic potential as effective remedies for a variety of health issues. However, with respect to their active compounds and therapeutic value, many medicinal plants from various environments fall under the category of being underexplored. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was initially presented in November 2019. It was eventually labeled a pandemic, with an alarming number of deaths (6.987 million) and is still active. Alternative therapies are receiving more attention as a means of improving immunity and managing symptoms over the long term, despite the well-established scientific community’s quick success in implementing COVID-19 vaccinations. As an alternative strategy for COVID-19 management, traditional medicine therapies that comprise medicinal plants and extracts, formulations, and bioactive metabolites are currently receiving much interest. The usefulness of these herbal medicine interventions to manage COVID-19 infection has been the subject of recent studies, which are discussed here. In conclusion, we propose using plant extracts and their formulations as an alternative approach to treat COVID-19. This review may also instigate the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactics from the active phytochemicals of these extracts.