VALIDATION OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRACTS OF Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) BENTH. AND HOOK.F. FROM HILLY TERRAINS OF UTTARAKHAND HIMALAYA

Abstract

The paper focuses on the biological activities of polar and non-polar extracts made from the aerial part of the plant Anaphalis margaritacea that was further chemically characterized. Both extracts’ constituent components were identified by their GC-MS profiles. In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic and hexane extracts was further investigated.  The methanolic extract showed the identification of twenty-eight compounds that constituted 83.29% of the total methanolic extract of which 5R, 8R, 9S, 10R)-2-Formyl-3-Hydroxy-5Isopropeny-8-8Methyl (3a10)-octahydronaptho (13.15%) was identified as the major compound. Identified compounds constituted 51.88% of the total composition of the hexane extract with hexatriacontane as one of the most prominent compounds occupying 20.43%. When compared to hexane extract, the methanolic extract revealed lower IC₅₀ values for DPPH radical scavenging activity (75.94±0.66 µg/mL), metal chelating activity (72.90±0.096 µg/mL), and reducing power activity (79.64±5.360 µg/mL) demonstrating that it possesses strong antioxidant potential. Additionally, methanolic extract demonstrated better anti-inflammatory properties, with an IB₅₀ value of 37.581±050 g/mL. Based on these results, methanolic extract appears to be a more potent antiinflammatory and antioxidant agent than hexane extract.