Role of botanical essential oils as a therapy for controlling coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease (Covid-19)

This review paper presented on the basis of extensive literature survey updated the importance of plant essential oils in controlling many diseases, particularly coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease outbreak. Plant essential oils are valuable natural products, and used as a raw materials in aromatherapy, phytotherapy, perfumery, cosmetics, spices and nutrition. Aromatic plants produced a diversity of chemical constituents with the potential to inhibit viral replication. Essential oils have several biological properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and anti-cancer effects in in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, essential oils have been analyzed and described as good antiviral agents against respiratory tract viral infections, hence are excellent prospective candidate against coronavirus. Thus, essential oils and their constituents can hopefully be considered in near future for more clinical assessment and possible applications in controlling the coronavirus pandemic. However, some of the plant essential oils are very toxic and poisonous and therefore, oral consumption should be avoided. Further detailed clinical trial experiments should be conducted for the scientific validation.