The In-Vitro Antiviral Activity of Carissa Edulis, Tulbaghia Acutiloba, and Tetradenia Riparia on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2

The current treatment landscape for COVID-19 is largely supportive or experimental in nature, highlighting the need for alternative approaches. Ethanolic extracts of three South African medicinal plants (Carissa edulis, Tulbaghia acutiloba, and Tetradenia riparia) were tested for their antiviral activity against SARSCoV- 2. Viral loads were quantified using real-time PCR, and their anti-inflammatory effects were also assessed using ELISA. Both pre-treatment and post-treatment of H1299-hACE2-E3 cells with C. edulis extract significantly reduced viral loads by two- to four-fold decreases as compared to untreated controls, which suggests potential antiviral activity. T. acutiloba and T. riparia also exhibited moderate antiviral suppression, especially when the extracts were pre-treated prior to infection at early time points (24 hours). All three plants showed anti-inflammatory activity. The findings from this research demonstrate C. edulis’ potent antiviral activity and positions it as a promising candidate for further research in antiviral therapy development.