A potential host and virus targeting tool against COVID-19: Chemical characterization, antiviral, cytoprotective, antioxidant, respiratory smooth muscle relaxant effects of Paulownia tomentosa Steud
- Autori: Magurano, Fabio; Micucci, Matteo; Nuzzo, Domenico; Baggieri, Melissa; Picone, Pasquale; Gioacchini, Silvia; Fioravanti, Raoul; Bucci, Paola; Kojouri, Maedeh; Mari, Michele; Retini, Michele; Budriesi, Roberta; Mattioli, Laura Beatrice; Corazza, Ivan; Di Liberto, Valentina; Todaro, Luigi; Giuseppetti, Roberto; D'Ugo, Emilio; Marchi, Antonella; Mecca, Marisabel; D'Auria, Maurizio
- Anno di pubblicazione: 2023
- Tipologia: Articolo in rivista
- OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/590713
Abstract
COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease that spread across the world, caused by the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the advancements in science that led to the creation of the vaccine, there is still an urgent need for new antiviral drugs effective against SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of Paulownia tomentosa Steud extract against SARS-CoV-2 and to evaluate its antioxidant properties, including respiratory smooth muscle relaxant effects. Our results showed that P. tomentosa extract can inhibit viral replication by directly interacting with both the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease and spike protein. In addition, the phyto complex does not reduce lung epithelial cell viability and exerts a protective action in those cells damaged by tert-butyl hydroperoxide , a toxic agent able to alter cells' functions via increased oxidative stress. These data suggest the potential role of P. tomentosa extract in COVID-19 treatment, since this extract is able to act both as an antiviral and a cyto-protective agent in vitro.