In Silico Evaluation for the Inhibitory Action of Curcumin Derivatives on the SARS-COV2

Abstract

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that had a global pandemic spread in the last two years. Symptoms of the disease include respiratory distress and, in severe cases may consequently lead to death. Blocking the viral proteins can aid in treating this disease and alleviating its symptoms. Two target proteins of the coronavirus that are hot spots in drug discovery are the papain-like protease PL-pro and the main protease M-pro. PL-pro is an enzyme that is required for processing viral polyproteins to generate a functional replicase complex and enable viral spread. M-pro is the major protease of SARS-CoV-2, which is a keystone in viral replication and transcription.