Natural Inhibitors Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Main Protease From Three Vietnamese Bryophytes

We are happy to announce that Dr. Thi-Kim-Dung Le and colleagues recently published their work entitled “Natural Inhibitohttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40921028/rs Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Main Protease From Three Vietnamese Bryophytes” in the Chemistry & Biodiversity.

Abstract:

Erythrodontium julaceum, Marchantia polymorpha, and Plagiochila bantamensis are widely distributed bryophytes in Vietnam. However, comprehensive chemical and biological data on their composition remain limited. Bio-guided isolation based on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mpro inhibition was applied to these species, resulting in the identification of 23 metabolites. Compound P8 is a new natural compound. Subsequently, the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibition of the isolated compounds revealed that bisbibenzyl- and 3-benzylphthalide-type compounds exhibit bioactivity. Among the tested compounds, isoriccardin C (M2) and julacelide (E1) exhibited significant activity, with IC50 values of 15.7 and 2.84 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking results further supported their strong activity.