Abstract

PHARMACOLOGICAL POTENTIALS OF MEDICAGO SATIVA L: A PROMISING OPTION FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CURE

Nwaehiri Uloma L., Akwukwaegbu Peter I.* and Ibe Ijeoma J.

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Abstract

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in 2019 and spread rapidly around the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) COVID 19 became a pandemic in March, 2020 and has affected more than 203 countries. Scientists are endeavoring to discover drugs for its efficacious treatment. Multiple drug trails are going world-wide. However; there are no vaccines and no specific antiviral therapy to the current pandemic. There is necessity for discovery of medicinal plant that will serve as a traditional contemporary means of treatment for COVID-19 while Scientists continue the search for a breakthrough. In this regards, Medicago sativa L. was assayed to determine the bioactive compounds that could potentially help in the treatment of covid-19 disease for the time being. The leaf, stem and root of Medicago sativa L. were screened separately for phytochemicals, secondary metabolites (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, quercetin, glycyrrhizin kaempferol, licochalcone, liquiritigenin, glycerol, and 18β-glycerrhetinic acid) and therapeutic effect using standard analytical methods. Flavonoids, saponins and phenols were predominant in the plant extract while β-sitosterol, 18β- glycerrhetinic acid and glycyrrhizin were the common metabolites. ABTS, DPPH, superoxide and nitric oxide ion radical scavengers increased with increase in concentration while FRAP radical scavenger decreased with increase in concentration. The therapeutic potentials revealed that the plant extracts were mostly antipyretic, expectorant, cough-suppressing and dampness-resolving from traditional descriptions. In conclusion, the presence of these bioactive compounds signals immunoregulatory activities of Medicago sativa extract while the therapeutic potential makes it ideal for formulation of herbal supplement against covid-19.

Keywords: COVID-19, Medicago sativa L., antioxidants, secondary metabolites, therapeutic effect.