Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic in a very short time span. While several vaccines have been developed in the last year, specific treatments for CoV infection are still being explored. Thus, the situation highlights the need to develop safe and efficacious antiviral therapeutics. Ayurvedic Rasayana therapy has been traditionally used in India for its holistic healing systems and proven history of empirical use. There is emerging evidence that Ayurvedic treatment methodologies and herbal medicines may be effective strategies in combating COVID-19. The present study is aimed at evaluating the antiviral and therapeutic activity of an Ayurvedic herbomineral formulation (Svarnvir-IV tablet, 450 mg) against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro. A cell-based assay was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the Svarnvir-IV tablets (Aimil Pharmaceuticals, Delhi, India) for the determination of virucidal activity assessment (at 2 hours) and therapeutic activity assessment (at 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours). When incubated with SARS-CoV-2 virus at 0.1 multiplicity of infection (MoI) for two hours, Svarnvir-IV tablet exhibited virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 with an EC50 value of 0.0058 mg/ml. It also exhibited therapeutic activity when treated with cells infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (0.1 MoI) for 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours post-infection, with an EC50 value of 0.094 mg/ml, 0.023 mg/ml, and 0.05 mg/ml, respectively. The original supporting data obtained from this study, along with existing Ayurvedic traditional information, has shown encouraging results.