Assessment of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Ethnomedicinal Vegetables in North East India

The study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of three North East Indian ethnomedicinal vegetables viz., Oxalis corniculata, Portulaca oleraceae, and Polygonum microcephalum by cyclic voltammetry and agar well diffusion method respectively. The antioxidative effects have been evaluated by monitoring the change of the oxidation potential in the redox cycle of 1,4-diaminobenzene in presence of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the plants. 1,4-Diaminobenzene exhibits two reversible redox cycles with E1/2 at 218 mV and 535 mV in DMF with the oxidation waves due to formation of a radical cation and a diiminium dication respectively. In the presence of plant extracts, the oxidation waves were delayed and the radical cation was scavenged, and disappearance of the second oxidant waves in the cyclic voltammograms. Additionally, the methanol extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These findings suggest the potential of these vegetables as natural antioxidants and antibacterial agents.