ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED PLANTS OF POTHOHAR PLATEAU

Abstract

Pothohar plateau has specific agro climatic and geographical environment which might affect the antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes of native plants. In the present study, three medicinal plants (Asphodilus tenifolius, Aerva javanica and Fagonia indica) were collected from Pothohar plateau on the basis of ethno-botanical uses. Different solvent (absolute and aqueous ethanol, absolute and aqueous methanol and absolute and aqueous acetone) extracts of all the plants obtained through different extraction techniques (Stirring, orbital shaking, sonication and reflux) were evaluated for their antioxidant activities (by 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl and superoxide radical scavenging assays, reducing power and ß-carotene linoleic acid system), antimicrobial activities (by Disc diffusion and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assays) and phytochemical studies (total phenolic and flavonoid contents). All the plant extracts exhibited good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Aqueous solvent extracts showed better activities as compared to pure solvent extracts. Out of four extraction techniques, extracts obtained from sonication exhibited better activities and phytochemical constituents. In case of Asphodilus tenifolius aqueous ethanol while for Aerva javanica and Fagonia indica aqueous methanol proved to be best solvent for the extraction of bioactive compounds. High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis also revealed the presence of phenolic acids in these plant extracts. The variation in yield, phytochemical constituents and biological activities of most of the plant extracts, with respect to solvent systems and plant species were statistically significant.