Polyphenol

Coronavirus

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Black tea

Theaflavin

Virology

Biochemistry

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Food science

Outbreak

Docking (animal)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Veterinary medicine

Antioxidant

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Internal medicine

Pharmacology

Medicine

Chemistry

Disease

Green tea

Traditional medicine

Phytomedicine

The rapid spread of novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 or nCoV has caused countries all over the world to impose lockdowns and undertake stringent preventive measures. This new positive-sense single-stranded RNA strain of coronavirus spreads through droplets of saliva and nasal discharge.US FDA has authorized the emergency use of Remdesivir looking at the increasing number of cases of COVID-19, however there is still no drug approved to treat COVID-19. An alternative way of treatment could be the use of naturally derived molecules with known antiviral properties.We reviewed the antiviral activities of two polyphenols derived from tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea and theaflavins from black tea. Both green tea and black tea polyphenols have been reported to exhibit antiviral activities against various viruses, especially positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses.Recent studies have revealed the possible binding sites present on SARS-CoV-2 and studied their interactions with tea polyphenols. EGCG and theaflavins, especially theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF3) have shown a significant interaction with the receptors under consideration in this review. Some docking studies further emphasize on the activity of these polyphenols against COVID-19.This review summarizes the available reports and evidences which support the use of tea polyphenols as potential candidates in prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19.

Antiviral activity of green tea and black tea polyphenols in prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19: A review