ARTEMISIA SPECIES AND ARTEMISININ DERIVATIVES AS ANTIVIRAL AGENTS AGAINST COVID-19. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE: CHEMISTRY, PHARMACOLOGY AND CLINICAL EVIDENCE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the reason behind the third zoonotic outbreak from the Coronaviridae family during the 21st century. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020, and it has been posing a challenge for the health care system all around the world. Research groups worldwide are trying to find potential leads for drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Investigating natural products and extracts from known medicinal plants has been one area of focus in searching for potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. This review aims to highlight the importance of including natural plants and plants derived compounds in this investigation. We particularly focused on compounds from Artemisia species (artemisinin and its derivatives), as this plant is highly valuable and has various pharmacological profiles.