Deciphering suppressive effects of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule on COVID-19 and synergistic effects of its major botanical drug pairs

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in excess deaths worldwide.Conventional antiviral medicines have been used to relieve the symptoms,with limited therapeutic effect.In contrast,Lianhua Qingwen Capsule is reported to exert remarkable anti-COVID-19 effect.The current review aims to:1)uncover the main pharmacological actions of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule for managing COVID-19;2)verify the bioactive ingredients and pharmacological actions of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule by network analysis;3)investigate the compatibility effect of major botanical drug pairs in Lianhua Qingwen Capsule;and 4)clarify the clinical evidence and safety of the combined therapy of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule and conventional drugs.Numerous bioactive ingredients in Lianhu Qingwen,such as quercetin,naringenin,β-sitosterol,luteolin,and stigmasterol,were identified to target host cytokines,and to regulate the immune defence in response to COVID-19.Genes including androgen receptor(AR),myeloperoxidase(MPO),epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),insulin(INS),and aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AHR)were found to be significantly involved in the pharmacological actions of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule against COVID-19.Four botanical drug pairs in Lianhua Qingwen Capsule were shown to have synergistic effect for the treatment of COVID-19.Clinical studies demonstrated the medicinal effect of the combined use of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule and conventional drugs against COVID-19.In conclusion,the four main pharmacological mechanisms of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule for managing COVID-19 are revealed.Therapeutic effect has been noted against COVID-19 in Lianhua Qingwen Capsule.