IMMUNITY BOOSTER PLANTS FROM TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN NORTH INDIAN PLAINS TO MITIGATE COVID-19 INFESTATION

Abstract

As pandemic, COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, this is stressful for everyone. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which affects the respiratory system in human beings with symptoms such as fever, cough, body pain, and difficulty in breathing in serious cases. It is a fact that prevention is better than cure and it is the first line of defence from infection. Traditional knowledge and practices which are very helpful to boost our body's immune system for the prevention of viruses are discussed in this paper. In this crisis, the traditional knowledge including culture and ethnomedicinal plants has long been and continues to be one of the strengths of indigenous communities. Further, many traditional healers, scientists, clinicians, experts have discussed various traditional herbs, which might be very effective against COVID-19. Ayurveda has spoken of very potent immune-booster plants such as Allium sativum, Andrographis paniculata, Ocimum tenuiflorum,Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera,etc. These medicinal plants are also used in AIDS, respiratory diseases, influenza, and other viral diseases. In this paper, a total of 24 traditional medicinal plants have been discussed that play a key role to boost our defence system against novel coronavirus. The aim of this paper is to bring awakening in society for the adoption of indigenous traditional knowledge and researches to encourage preventive use of medicinal plants against COVID-19.