Historical texts as a potential resource for plant-based antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2: the example of the Receptarium of Burkhard III von Hallwyl from 16th-century Switzerland

Our study suggests that an ethnopharmacological approach based on historical records of plant use in combination with a rational selection and testing procedure allows to identify interesting candidates, even among medicinal plants no longer in use. The process of selecting plants from RBH also illustrates the challenges associated with the study of historical texts, particularly the interpretation of the medicinal uses and the assessment of the botanical identities of historical plant names.