Heterologous combinatorial biosynthesis of daurichromenic acid derivatives from a common metabolite in Rhododendron species and evaluation of their SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activities

Key Points

• Daurichromenic acid derivatives exhibit notable inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2, indicating therapeutic potential.
• The study reports that certain derivatives showed over 75% inhibition in specific assays, highlighting efficacy in viral suppression.
• Biosynthesis methods were employed to create these derivatives from common metabolites found in various Rhododendron species.
• Findings may enable the development of new antiviral therapies targeting SARS-CoV-2, but further validation in human trials is needed.