Biochemical analysis, pharmacological activity, antifungal activity and mineral analysis in methanolic extracts of Myrica esculenta and Syzygium cumini: the Indian traditional fruits growing in Uttarakhand Himalaya

Abstract

Myrica esculenta (Myricaceae) and Syzygium cumini(Myrtaceae), the Indian traditional fruits were studied for their biochemical assay, antifungal activity and mineral analysis. The biochemical assay in terms of total phenols, flavonols, ortho dihydroxy phenolic, ascorbic acid and phytic acid content and antioxidant activity revealed different quantitative make up in all the different samples. The in vitro antioxidant activity determined by reducing power assay, chelating power on Fe2+ ions and 2, 2-diphenylpicrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were found to be good to moderate in a dose dependent manner in all the extracts. The extracts showed significant antinociceptive and antipyretic activity on mice. Methanolic extracts of both the fruits collected from different regions exhibited good antifungal activity against the three pathogenic fungi viz; Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Fusarium oxysporium. All the extracts studied for their mineral analysis through atomic absorption spectroscopy also revealed quantitative variation of N, P , K , S, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn. Fe was found to be maximum in all the samples however Na was absent in all the samples.