Comparative study on phenolic, flavonoids and in vitro antioxidant activity of wild edible plants from Loktak Lake wetland ecosystem under North East Indian Himalayan Region

Abstract

The present study investigates the antioxidant activity of 28 wild edible plants (WEPs) resources of Loktak Lake wetland ecosystem of Manipur, North East Indian Himalayan Region and their correlation with phenolics and flavonoids. Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assay. The antioxidant capacity was found to wide ranges of 1.71 to 263.7 µM TEAC/g fresh weight. In three assays, maximum antioxidant capacity is in same order Jussiaea repens L. > Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) Moore > Polygonum sagitattum L. ranging from 99.5 to 263.7 µM TEAC/g fresh weight. The correlation study established that all the three antioxidant assays are positively correlated and phenolics have contributed more in antioxidant activity than flavonoids. Among 28 WEPs, Jussiaea repens L. and Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) Moore were found to be most promising. These plants can be used as source of natural antioxidant additives, nutritional supplements or ingredients of functional foods.

Keywords:

• Wild edible plants
• antioxidant
• phenolics
• flavonoids
• Jussiaea repens L.
• Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) Moore
• Polygonum sagitattum L

Acknowledgement

The authors thankfully acknowledge the technical support received from Dr. H. Birkumar Singh, Senior Principal Scientist (CSIR: North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India) and Professor (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, India) in identification of the plants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.