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In the middle of pandemic chaos caused by COVID-19, Curcuma longa and Cinchona are quietly mentioned as good choices to cure the disease. It is said that the plants have certain natural compounds which are good to treat patients. They have active agents needed to decline symptoms of the disease. Though further studies are still needed to prove their big benefits, the two plants with the strong evidences along the traditional medicine history have risen new promises to the world communities to solve the problem.
There is no specific treatment for COVID-19 yet. People, including researchers, are still searching to get the best answer to solve the problem. One way is by using herbal medicine. In traditional community, we may find some plants used as medicine. Curcuma and Cinchona are among them. The plants are believed have potential preventive and even therapeutic agents to help patients with COVID-19 infection, due to their immunomodulatory effects. As we know, viral diseases can be fight back by good immune system. In COVID-19 infection, the immune status of patients plays a key role to combat the disease. So, while some plants historically proved can boost immune system, they become good choices to apply in clinical matters.
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Curcuma longa (C. longa) which also known as turmeric is a plant from the ginger (Zingiberaceae) family and the Curcuma genus. It is long-known as important ingredient, not just for the cooking matters, but also in the medical fields. Turmeric is used as spice, natural food colour, and food flavour for many kinds of cooking. In the traditional medicine history, turmeric has been proved as good choice to be used as medicinal plant to treat various diseases and conditions. It has been studied in preclinical and clinical studies due to specific agents such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial which are tended to be used to treat some disease such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, allergy or asthma, and psoriasis.
Similar to turmeric, Cinchona has been popular in traditional medicine issues. The species known as Cinchona L. or Raiatea is a medicinal plant from the Andean mountain forests which has important benefits to cure some diseases. It contains bioactive compounds that can heal fever. It is based on the first finding by Jesuit missionaries which then gradually expanded throughout the world.
In some way, Curcuma and Cinchona differ one another. Curcuma is much mentioned as Asia origin. On the other hand, Cinchona is from the Andean mountain forests, which is in South America. Curcuma’s extracts contain curcuminoids (curcumin 77%, demethoxycurcumin 17%, and bisdemethoxycurcumin 3%) which act medicines or supplements. While Cinchona produces quinine alkaloids, an effective treatment of malaria for more than several centuries. Quinine is called chloroquine analogue as it has specific action that similar to chloroquine, a synthetic antimalaria agent to treat malaria. A large amount of data suggested that several antimalarial drugs had been investigated and then concluded that they had some advantages against viral infection.
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To notice, during the spread of COVID-19, people appear to be easily panic. Once commercial announcements about effective herbals to cure the infection published, it can trigger public eagerness to believe and buy the product. They shop even their source is the advertisements on television, radio, and online media, without solid research needed. Studies are still needed to explain the relation between herbals’ active compounds with the molecular mechanisms of COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, the hurry-scurry using will be harmful for health because of the extend of toxic reaction of certain compound such as quinine. **
* https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2020/2560645/
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