Abstract
Annona muricata
, a tropical plant which has been extensively used in ethnomedicine to treat a wide range of diseases, from malaria to cancer. Interestingly, this plant has been reported to demonstrate significant antiviral properties against the human immunodeficiency virus, herpes simplex virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis C virus and dengue virus. Additionally, the bioactive compounds responsible for antiviral efficacy have also shown to be selectively cytotoxic while inhibiting tumorigenic cell growth without affecting the normal cell growth. Annonaceous Acetogenins are a class of bioactive compounds exclusive to the Annonaceae family at which the plant
A. muricata
belongs. In the current study, we have created a library of Acetogenins unique to the plant, comprising of Annomuricin A, Annomuricin B, Annomuricin C, Muricatocin C, Muricatacin,
cis
-Annonacin, Annonacin-10-one,
cis
-Goniothalamicin, Arianacin and Javoricin, for
in silico
and theoretical evaluations against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in an attempt toward promotion of plant based drug development for the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We found that all the Acetogenins showing
in silico
spike protein significantly docking with good binding affinities. Moreover, we envision
A. muricata
Acetogenins can be further studied by
in vitro
and
in vivo
models to identify potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.