antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 included *Acacia Senegal*, *Aspolathus linerias*, *Hypoxis hemerocallidea*, *Sutherladia frutescens*, *and Xysmalobium undulatum* [19].

TMPs reported in this review article target various stages in viral life cycle starting from the prevention of viral entry to the E6 cells, halting the fusion of the S protein, the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, the prevention of viral replication, and the transcription by targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and major proteases [6, 15, 17, 19–25]. The diagrams in **Figure 1** show strategies for the prevention and management of COVID-19 using TMPs.

#### **2.1** *Acacia senegal*

*A. senegal* (**Figure 2**), also known as white gum tree, belongs to the *Mimosoideae* family of plants and is widely distributed in Senegal, Cameroon, and Sudan [26–28]. Exotic *A. Senegal* is found in South Africa and is called siKhambophane and umKhala in isiZulu [29]. *A. senegal* is traditionally used to treat respiratory symptoms and infections, such as flu and sore throat (**Table 1**), and other conditions including, sinusitis, toothaches, stomach ulcer, colic, diarrhea, and dysentery [19, 26]. This medicinal plant has pharmacological activities, which include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant [26]. Secondary metabolites identified from *A. senegal's*

#### **Figure 1.** *Identified strategies for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 using TMPs.*

#### **Figure 2.**

Acacia Senegal *leaves in picture A and bark in picture B.*


#### **Table 1.**

*Traditional uses of TMPs in respiratory symptoms and diseases.*

plants extracts include glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and arabic acid [15, 19, 26]. Arabic acid was determined to have a higher docking score (−5.2 kcal/mol) against 3CLpro, suggesting that *A. senegal* is a medicinal plant with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 3C-like major protease (**Table 2**) [15, 19]. Thus, testing *A. senegal in vitro* might help to characterize new treatment and/or prophylactic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.
