Inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 3CL pro main protease by plant polyphenols. - GreenMedInfo Summary

The abundance of polyphenols in edible plants makes them an important component of human nutrition. Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a number of studies have investigated polyphenols as bioactive constituents. We applied in-silico molecular docking as well as molecular dynamics supported by in-vitro assays to determine the inhibitory potential of various plant polyphenols against an important SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic target, the protease 3CL. Of the polyphenols in initial in-vitro screening, quercetin, ellagic acid, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate and resveratrol showed ICvalues of 11.8 µM to 23.4 µM. In-silico molecular dynamics simulations indicated stable interactions with the 3CLactive site over 100 ns production runs. Moreover, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the binding of polyphenols to 3CLin real time. Therefore, we provide evidence for inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLby natural plant polyphenols, and suggest further research into the development of these novel 3CLinhibitors or biochemical probes.