Page 168 - e-Book

focuses on antiviral herbs and spices including turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and garlic,

as an illustration of the antiviral potential.
i. Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

The red-yellow spice also known as curcumin/turmeric is a member of the ginger family
(Zingiberaceae) and is traditionally grown in the tropics. common plant chemicals in the

rhizome contain a wide range of secondary metabolites, such as curcumin, sterols, and
polyphenols as key bioactive chemicals (Omosa, Midiwo, & Kuete, 2017). It has been a

common medicine in the Far East for thousands of years. Several research studies have

shown that curcumin has a significant anti‐inflammatory, anti‐angiogenic, and anti‐tumorptic
properties without an adverse effect on the body. Generally Accepted as Safe (as safe as milk

from the FDA) is a dietary turmeric dose of 12g was found to be safe when tested on human

being under controlled clinical conditions without reporting of deformities ( Patchva et al.,
2013). Shrivastava and his colleagues found no toxicity in the curcumin doses of 2,500 and

8,000mg per day for three months turmeric fights viral infections by strengthening the
immunity.

A turmeric-derived antiviral activity was seen against several of a wide variety of viruses,
including hepatitis, AIDS-related virus, herpes simplex infections, and SARS-related virus

that affect numerous molecular processes (Joe et al., 2004). Turmeric has also been

established to target different cellular pathways, thereby making itself an excellent
medication for an anti‐viral effects along with the properties in interfering with the viral

replication and proliferation.
ii. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger is a medicinally-rich herb that naturally grows in numerous regions Ginger, Zing
officin, belongs to the Zingaceae family and galangal, among other members of the group.

The plant has many locations, but it has East Asian origin and is grown in many countries

including India as well. There are the indications for Charaka, Vagbattā, and Chakra‐tu as it
is defined in Ayurveda? (Agrahari, Panda, Verma, Khan, & Darbari, 2015). It is known in the

traditional Unani method of medicine as "Zanjal" (Bashir & Afrin, 2019).

Ginger is rich in phenolic and alkaloid and steroid groups. Analogues of the rhizome,
including zingiber, paradol, and zonger, are chief contributors to the fragrance. As well as the

key bioactive components, ginger comprises several subunits: 4‐og‐6, 8‐6, 10‐ol, and 14‐0‐0.
(Ali et al., 2008; Report by US, 2013). Many studies have shown that ginger and its bioactive

compounds were successful against major viral strands affecting respiratory systems in
individuals (Imanishi et al., 2006; Dorra et al., 2019; Sulochana et al., 2020; Admas, 2020).

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