The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) the main cause of the COVID-19 ailment propagation, was first identified in Wuhan, China, December 2019. Then it has rapidly spread across the globe, leading to a pandemic. The challenge for Scientific and medical communities was to understand the virus and to develop effective therapies against this pandemic in a short time. Therefore, numerous drugs of other illnesses are repurposed to be used for the SARS-CoV-2 treatment infected patients, as well as called for regeneration of viral replication inhibitors were lanced. In fact, plant metabolites are a source of countless medicinal compounds such as phenolic compounds, Terpenes and alkaloids. Some alkaloids with DNA intercalating properties, are able to inhibit the transcription, and replication, of genetic material, by a special mode of DNA binding, where the aromatic part of these molecules is introduced between a bases pair, leading to DNA structural changes and resulting in its functional interruption. Sanguinarine actually proved an antiviral activity against Human Immunodeficiency virus protease and Herpes Simplex virus, bereberine also showed a strong ability in increasing the viability and reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines caused by SARS-COV-2 spike protein while entering host cells. It was stated that at a concentration of 0.5 M, emetine might powerfully bloc the replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The isoquinoline alkaloids, including tetrandrine, fangchinoline and cepharanthine extracted from Stephania tetrandra exhibited a potential inhibitory effect against HCoV- OC43 infection in MRC-5 human lung cells. Similarly, Chelidonine and palmatine alkaloids were described as intercalating drug precursors to fight SARS-CoV-2. The quinoline alkaloids Cinchonine, skimmianine, dictamine, and quinine exhibited a strong impact on SARS-CoV-1 pathologies. In 2020, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine derivatives of quinine, also received a great deal of attention as a possible treatment of COVID-19. But there have been great concerns over the safety of these alkaloids.

Keywords: COVID-19, DNA intercalating, Transcription, Emetine, Replication, Cytokines.