SCREENING OF WEST JAVA HERBS AS ANTIVIRAL AGAINST SARS-COV-2 WITH DIABETES COMORBIDITY IN HYPERGLYCEMIC RAT INFECTED WITH RAT-CORONAVIRUS

• Main Author: Kiem Aviani, Jenifer
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85429
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Diabetes is one of the major comorbidities of COVID-19. In a multicenter study, it was found that patients with type II diabetes require more medical intervention and have higher mortality and multiorgan damage compared to non-diabetic patients. Herbal medicine is an interesting research focus because around 80% of the world's population has traditional herbal medicine that is believed to be able to treat various disease symptoms. Departing from Dr Dian Rosleine's ethnopharmaceutical research in Cihea and Neglasari Villages, this study aims to see the potential of local herbal medicines as antivirals and antidiabetics. Ten herbs that according to residents can treat symptoms of diseases associated with viral infections such as fever, chills, coughs, etc. and three herbs that are believed to treat diabetes symptoms were screened. The ten herbs were extracted using the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method and the conventional decoction method and characterized for flavonoid, phenolic, terpenoid, and alkaloid levels. Herbs extracted using the UAE method had higher phytochemical and antioxidant levels than decoctions. Furthermore, antiviral screening of the ten herbs was carried out using the hemagglutinin esterase inhibition assay method against Rat-Coronavirus (Rat-Cov) which is a virus used as a model for SARS-Cov-2. Soursop leaf extract (Annona muricata) showed the best inhibition so it was chosen as an antiviral herb. For antidiabetic screening, the glucose uptake assay, sucrase inhibition, and amylase inhibition methods were carried out. Bratawali (Tinospora crispa) performed the best in the three tests. The two herbs were then selected as herbal medicines with a 1:1 ratio which was exposed to animal models. The animal models made include 9 groups: 1) healthy control, 2) diabetes, 3) Rat-Cov, 4) Rat-Cov + diabetes, 5) Rat-Cov + diabetes + favipiravir + metformin, 6) Rat-Cov + diabetes + low dose UAE herbal, 7) RatCov + diabetes + high dose UAE herbal, 8) Rat-Cov + diabetes + low dose boiled herbal, 8) Rat-Cov + diabetes + high dose boiled herbal. There were no behavioural changes in all groups after being infected with the virus until the 15th day after infection. A decrease in fasting blood sugar was seen in all treatment groups to the same level as the normal group. However, the histopathological analysis showed mononuclear cell infiltration, necrosis, exudate, and haemorrhage in the group infected with Rat-Cov and was most severe in the RatCov + diabetes group There was a decrease in inflammation scores in the group given UAE herbs and decoctions. The number of peripheral blood lymphocytes in UAE herbs and decoctions was lower than RatCov and RatCov + diabetes. The soursop-bratawali herbal concoction was able to reduce inflammation in hyperglycemic mice infected with RatCov. UAE herbs gave superior results compared to decoctions.