Phytochemical Screening and Biological Investigation of Selected Medicinal Plants of District D. I. Khan: A Survey Study

Sonia Bibi; Sumia Ali; Muhammad Matiullah; Naimat Ullah; Nasr Ullah Khan

Phytochemical Screening and Biological Investigation of Selected Medicinal Plants of District D. I. Khan

A Survey Study

Authors

Sonia Bibi M. Phil Botany students, Institute of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Sumia Ali M. Phil Botany students, Institute of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Muhammad Matiullah M. Phil Botany students, Institute of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Naimat Ullah Assistant Professor, Institute of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Nasr Ullah Khan Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Keywords:

Staphylococcus aureus, shade drying, Phytochemicals, Antioxidants, Terpenoids

Abstract

In terms of health and medicine, plants are vital to human existence. In the past, a wide variety of illnesses were treated with a variety of medicinal plants. For a phytochemical analysis, nine distinct medicinal plants were chosen from the isolated parts of District D.I. Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These plants are often utilised locally for a variety of medical uses. Leaf samples from locally collected medicinal plants were gathered and utilized in tests after drying in the shade. The antioxidant activity of leaf extracts from collected plants was evaluated using a DPPH scavenging assay. Enzyme activity inhibitory effects were also assessed, as well as antibacterial and antifungal activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus Niger, respectively. Amaranthus retroflexes, Winthania somniferous, Marsupium peregrine, and Pergamum harmala, four of the nine species, have demonstrated encouraging outcomes in terms of their antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-diabetic properties. Amaranthus retroflexes had a high potential for treating diabetes, while Winthania somniferous leaf displayed the best DPPH scavenging activity among the plants screened. The best results were obtained with Peganum harmala and Marsupium peregrinum against Aspergillus niger and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The research showed that the chosen medicinal herbs had potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal, as well as anti-diabetic capabilities. Furthermore, it was found that these plants possess antioxidant properties, which may be attributed to the high concentration of phytochemicals present in the samples.

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Phytochemical Screening and Biological Investigation of Selected Medicinal Plants of District D. I. Khan