Abstract
Background:
Human coronaviruses (HCoV) are common viruses and known to be associated with
respiratory diseases, including pneumonia. Currently, seven human coronaviruses have been identified and
known to cause upper and lower respiratory infections as well as nosocomial viral infections in humans. The bats,
palm civets, and camels are identified as the reservoir of human coronaviruses. In 2002-2003, the emergence of
SARS-CoV resulted in an outbreak and led towards the more awareness and importance of scientific research and
medical urgency.
Methods:
The recently identified SARS-CoV-2 was identified from the seafood market of the city Wuhan, China,
in December 2019 and caused a global pandemic. This virus has now spread to more than 213 countries. This is
the third highly pathogenic human coronavirus after SARS and MERS-CoV. The coronaviruses have RNA as
genetic material and are known to have frequent recombination and mutations in their genome, which lead to the
emergence and re-emergence of new virus strains and isolates with novel properties and extended hosts. The
genetic mutations and suitable environmental conditions result in the emergence and re-emergence of pathogenic
coronaviruses and cause a serious issue to human health and the economy globally. Lectins are the ubiquitous
group of proteins that bind to glycosylated molecules.
Conclusion:
The plant lectins are known to have significant antiviral activities against coronaviruses. Additionally,
the plant lectins can be used as potential therapeutics against bacteria, fungus, yeast, and protozoa. In this
review, we have discussed the current status of human pathogenic coronavirus emergence and the use of plant
lectins as antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.