A study based on computer modelling, published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal, has preliminarily indicated that certain compounds in kabasura kudineer can potentially play a role in antiviral therapy, particularly against COVID-19.
S. Vincent, former dean of research, Loyola College, who is a co-author of the paper, said they selected 145 compounds found in kabasura kudineer, a poly-herbal formulation used for therapy in Siddha medicine, for the in silico study.
Molecular docking
Mr. Vincent said the team used the molecular docking technique to study how effectively the ligands of the compounds bonded with the 3C-like protease, the main protease found in the COVID-19 causing SARS-CoV-2 virus. Many studies have shown the protease as a potential target for drugs against coronaviruses.
“Fifteen of the 145 compounds found naturally in herbs used in kabasura kudineer had greater affinity and docked effectively with the protease in SARS-CoV-2, indicating that they can potentially inhibit viral replication,” he said. Stating that the method used was in the realm of bioinformatics, he said it was used to accelerate identification of the potential drug compounds, before getting into elaborate laboratory experiments and clinical trials.
“We hope our results pave the way for further research on kabasura kudineer with the backing of the government,” he added.
The study was done in collaboration with researchers from Loyola College, Sejong University in South Korea and Mekelle University in Ethiopia, and the findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.
