Benzoindolizidine Alkaloids Tylophorine and Lycorine and Their Analogues with Antiviral, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anticancer Properties: Promises and Challenges

Ongoing viral research, essential for public health due to evolving viruses, gains significance owing emerging infections such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Marine and plant alkaloids show promise novel potential pharmacological strategies. In this narrative review, we elucidated of tylophorine lycorine, two naturally occurring plant-derived with a shared benzoindolizidine scaffold, antiviral agents be potentially harnessed against respiratory infections. Possible structure-activity relationships have also been highlighted. The substances their derivatives were found endowed powerful broad-spectrum properties; moreover, they able counteract inflammation, which often underpins complications diseases. At last, anticancer properties hold not only advancing cancer research but mitigating oncogenic effects viruses. This evidence suggests that lycorine could effectively pathogenesis disease its harmful effects. Although common issues about pharmacologic development natural remain addressed, collected highlights possible interest in and/or adjuvant strategies encourages future more in-depth pre-clinical clinical investigations overcome drawbacks harness power therapeutic purposes.