The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 developed into a global pandemic affecting millions of people worldwide. Despite one year of intensive research, the current treatment options for SARS-CoV-2 infected people are still limited. Clearly, novel antiviral compounds for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients are still urgently needed. Complementary medicine is used along with standard medical treatment and accessible to a vast majority of people worldwide. Natural products with antiviral activity may contribute to improve the overall condition of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activity of glycyrrhizin, the primary active ingredient of the licorice root, against SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrated that glycyrrhizin potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. Furthermore, we uncovered the underlying mechanism and showed that glycyrrhizin blocks the viral replication by inhibiting the viral main protease M pro that is essential for viral replication. Our data indicate that the consumption of glycyrrhizin-containing products such as licorice root tea of black licorice may be of great benefit for SARS-CoV-2 infected people. Furthermore, glycyrrhizin is a good candidate for further investigation for clinical use to treat COVID-19 patients.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, main protease, glycyrrhizin, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, complementary medicine, protease, in vitro, antiviral activity, global pandemic, outbreak, viral replication, Research, ingredient, Intensive, SARS-CoV-2 replication, mechanism, COVID-19 patients, Clinical use, natural, SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, M pro, treat, block, Antiviral compound, benefit, IMPROVE, investigated, inhibit, majority, contribute, demonstrated, inhibiting, affecting, SARS-CoV-2 infected patient,