Chemical Constituents of Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Leaf Extract and Its Potential in Mitigating the Effects of Viral Infections

• Published in: ACS food science & technology 2023-12, Vol.3 (12), p.2108-2116
• Main Authors: Lee, Ethan Y., Liu, Zhihao, Li, Yanfang, Wang, Thomas T. Y., Sun, Jianghao, Wu, Xianli, Whent, Monica, Pehrsson, Pamela, Zhang, Yaqiong, Gao, Boyan, Yao, Yuanhang, Yu, Liangli Lucy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2692-1944; 2692-1944
• DOI: 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.3c00357

The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is facilitated by the binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in a host; hence, interfering with the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein and ACE2 could possibly reduce the risk of COVID-19. This study aimed to analyze the chemical compositions and evaluate the antiviral and free radical scavenging effects of the parsley leaf extracts. Twenty-two compounds were tentatively identified, with octadecenamide possibly being reported for the first time in parsley. Parsley extract was able to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 interaction by 70% at a concentration of 3.3 mg dry parsley/mL and inhibit ACE2 activity by 86% at 5.0 mg/mL. Parsley extract showed free radical scavenging capacity against HO•, DPPH•, and ABTS•+ with the values of 184.09, 0.03, and 9.58 μmol Trolox equivalent/gram, respectively. Findings from this study suggest parsley’s potential ability to mitigate the risks and symptoms of COVID-19.