The Revival of Herbal Antivirals: A Pharmacognostic Perspective in the Post-Pandemic Era

The revival of herbal antivirals in the veterinary pharmacognosy is a sustainable approach to antiviral control among livestock and poultry, and its economic costs are an added advantage. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and terpenoids have been shown to potently inhibit viral replication, regulate and/or activate the immune system, and provide a pharmacological effect on viral enzymes. The use of varied animal models, such as poultry, rodent, and ruminants, enables efficacy, toxicity, and species differences assessment, in order to translate it into the practice of veterinary medicine. Combination of conventional ethnoveterinary medicine with contemporary instruments and techniques such as LC-MS/MS, molecular docking, and metabolomics allows the identification of bioactive substances and clarification of the molecular basis, converting traditional folk medicine into scientific medicine. Although there are limitations to consider in intrinsic variability of dose, inadequate pharmacokinetic information, and ethical limitations, standardized formulations, and sophisticated analytical methods together with alternative pharmacological models can maximise translation utility. This review highlights the need of herbal antivirals that are low toxicity and broad spectrum with minimal to no adverse effects, in lieu of synthetic drugs to maintain animal health and sustainable livestock management, as well as preparedness against any new viral pandemic