Abstract: The invention relates to genetically modified plants and progeny thereof which constitute edible plant-derived mucosal vaccines and injectable plant-derived mucosal vaccines against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The invention relates to a recombinant vector that transforms specifically, but not limited to, the nuclei and/or plastids of tobacco, tomato and lettuce plants for antigen production. In specific embodiments, the plastid transformation vector expressing the nucleotide sequences are pCV1, pCV6 and pCV8, and their derivatives containing an S1 with nucleotide (but not amino acid) changes to optimize codon usage for expression in plants. The present invention relates to methods of making the modified plants which comprises transformation of plants with vectors for nuclear expression and/or plastid expression of nucleotide sequences of the SARS-CoV virus, fragments, derivatives, analogs, or variants thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition useful for the treatment of diseases associated with viruses of the order Nidovirales of the family Coronaviradae, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) viruses in humans and other animals. In particular, this invention relates to a naturally occurring compound, namely, baicalin, extracted and purified from the Chinese medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Chinese name: Huang Qin), that exhibits potent antiviral activity against members of the order Nidovirales of the family Coronaviradae that infects humans and other animals; in particular, SARS viruses in humans (“hSARS virus”). The invention also relates to a therapeutic method, using pharmaceutical compositions comprising baicalin compounds, for the treatment, amelioration, management or prevention of diseases associated with members of the order Nidovirales of the family Coronaviradae, such as hSARS.