The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for effective and affordable antiviral drugs. Anthropogenic activities have increased interactions among humans, animals, and wildlife, contributing to the emergence of new and re-emerging viral diseases. RNA viruses pose significant challenges due to their rapid mutation rates, high transmissibility, and ability to adapt to host immune responses and antiviral treatments. The World Health Organization has identified several diseases (COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, Zika, and others), all caused by RNA viruses, designated as being of priority concern as potential causes of future pandemics. Despite advances in antiviral treatments, many viruses lack specific therapeutic options, and more importantly, there is a paucity of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. Additionally, the high costs of current treatments such as Remdesivir and Paxlovid highlight the need for more affordable antiviral drugs. Cyclic peptides from natural sources or designed through molecular modeling have shown promise as antiviral drugs with stability, low toxicity, high target specificity, and low antiviral resistance properties. This review emphasizes the urgent need to develop specific and broad-spectrum antiviral drugs and highlights cyclic peptides as a sustainable solution to combat future pandemics. Further research into these compounds could provide a new weapon to combat RNA viruses and address the gaps in current antiviral drug development.

Cowpeas are prone to abiotic (heat and drought) and biotic (pathogens and insect pests) stresses, with the former representing the predominant challenge, causing poor growth and reduced yield globally under changing climatic conditions. Cowpea can synthesize phytochemicals to respond to these stresses; however, there is limited information on the impact of weather on phytochemical biosynthesis in the cowpea phyllosphere. Phytochemical profiles were determined via chromatographic and spectrophotometric analyses of leaf samples from six cowpea varieties grown during 2020–2021. A total of 10 fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and 62 diverse metabolites were identified across varieties and seasons, with higher levels in 2020 under elevated temperatures and rainfall. The Queen Anne (QA) variety exhibited the maximum concentration of elaidic oleic acid (cis + trans), behenate, lignocerate, methyl laurate, and methyl palmitate (with the highest concentration at 258.415 µg/mL), and the Whippoorwill Steele’s Black (WP) variety predominantly exhibited diverse phytochemicals with high peak areas during 2020, including phenolic acids, phytohormones, alkaloids, flavonoids, and amino acids. While higher overall increases were observed in 2020, some compounds and varieties peaked in 2021, including FAMEs in the Colossus (CL) variety and other phytochemicals in QA. Flavonoid, flavone, and flavonol biosynthesis; phenylalanine metabolism; and tyrosine metabolism were significantly affected, leading to the accumulation of metabolites. Understanding plant–climate interactions will help farmers with variety selection and planting decisions. This study suggests that further research on the temperature mechanism for the biosynthetic pathways of these metabolites in the screened cowpea varieties is required.