Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities Evaluation, Phytochemical Characterisation of Rhizome from and Barks from in Nepal.

Ethnomedicinally, more than 2000 plants were found to be used in Nepal. Among them, the red colored rhizome of and the bark of have been used widely to treat muscle fatigue, bone pain, fever, postpartum hemorrhage, and thirst by healers in Kaski and Tanahun districts, Nepal. However, scientific evidence towards their traditional uses is lacking till December, 2023. Therefore, we report the phytochemicals, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total carbohydrate content (TCC), antioxidant and antibacterial activities of and extracts. Phytochemical analysis indicated that and extracts were potential sources of chemicals such as phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, and carbohydrates. The TPC, TFC, and TCC of extracts were determined by using an ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer. Among the extracts tested, extracts showed the highest phenolic and carbohydrate contents of 208.33 ± 12.96 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g and 564.16 ± 2.92 mg of D-glucose equivalent/g of dry extract, respectively. Similarly, revealed the highest flavonoid content of 30.35 ± 0.1 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract. The extract of and exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with an IC of 25.9 g/ml and 31.07 g/ml, respectively. The antibacterial activity of the and extract against , and was determined using an agar-well diffusion protocol that revealed the potential antibacterial activity of against . The present study will help validate the traditional uses of rhizomes and barks as a healing medicine and inspire the researcher towards further research, development, and formulation.