Ecological studies on some ethno medicinal plants of Leh Ladakh and determination of their biological activities

Abstract

The use of plant resources by indigenous people for therapeutic purposes forms the basis of novel compounds or biological activity, and drug discovery. Plants are known to possess a rich source of bioactive molecules. Keeping this in mind, a study was planned to investigate the phytochemical components and various biological properties in some plants, such as Allardia tridactylites (Kar. and Kir.) Sch. Bip., Urtica hyperborean Jacquem. ex Wedd., Nepeta longibracteata Benth., Primula macrophylla D. Don., Oxytropis microphylla (Pall.) DC., and Physochlaina praealta (Decne.) Miers., collected from Chang-La region of Leh, Ladakh. Chemical profiling of the EO of A. tridactylites through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(GC-MS) revealed valeranone, and#945;-pinene, and#945;-thujone, and and#945;-bisabolol as major constituents. It reduces the germination of B. pilosa and reduced mitotic index of root tip cells of A. cepa alongwith causing chromosomal aberrations. The EO was most effective against Rhodococcus fasciens. The reducing ability of EO was found to be comparable to the standard (ascorbicacid).The antioxidant /radical scavenging activity was found to be maximum in N. longibracteata and U. hyperborea with ~80% inhibition and were comparable to the standard (ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity was found to be maximum in methanolic extracts of O. microphylla (90.2%) against Streptomycesscabiei followed by aqueous extract of U. hyperborea (88.9%) and aqueous extract of P. macrophylla with 79.4% growth inhibition against Bacillus pumilus. O. microphylla was found to exhibit the maximum anti-inflammatory activity with ~80% of inhibition of protein denaturation and 72% of inhibition of proteinase activity followed by U. hyperborea (~70%). U. hyperborea was found to be a multi-functional plant.