Medicinal Plants Against Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 1 Infections: Ethnopharmacology, Chemistry, and Clinical and Preclinical Studies

The use of medicinal plants as a remedy to various ailments is embedded in various cultures around the globe. However, the use of these treatments has fallen out of favor, and today, allopathic medicine dominates viral therapies. The appearance of viral resistance patterns in populations treated with the gold standard of medication for diseases has encouraged researchers to find new solutions to achieve effective treatment. Going back to the ethnic roots of traditional medicine has not only provided researchers with new avenues to explore when it comes to treating viral diseases but has also helped in understanding more as to why these extracts, potions, and ointments work to cure said ailments. The chapter focuses on elaborating on this thought by consolidating information on various traditional treatment strategies against HSV-1 from all around the world. The efficacy of various plant extracts from a myriad of plant parts, the various mediums in which these extracts have been prepared, and the host toxicity of these strategies as well as their use as an alternative to modern medicine have been elaborated in detail. The efficacy of these various plant extracts, with a focus on their chemistry of action against infections, both topical and systemic, is a point of focus in the chapter.