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An acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), otherwise known as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), recently emerged in Wuhan Hubei Province, China and has since spread rapidly across the globe. As of 30 January 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic was officially declared as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Coronaviruses are enveloped positive-sense RNA viruses that can cause a variety of diseases in both birds and mammals. SARS- CoV-2 is a novel strain that has not been previously identified in humans. However, it is the third introduction of a highly pathogenic coronavirus into the human population since Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) was identified in 2002 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) which was first identified in 2012. Till date, no effective or specific treatment has been identified for SARS-CoV-2, despite this certain candidate have shown great efficacy in viral inhibition of the disease. Natural substances have previously exhibited great anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, the possibilities of natural substances as effective treatments against SARS-CoV-2 may seem promising.

This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the possible use of natural products against SARS-CoV-2 by evaluating their antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects which have previously been assessed in laboratory conditions.