Comparative phytochemical and antioxidative profiling of assamese culinary for developing antiarthritic polyherbal formulation

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder where oxidative stress plays a critical role in disease progression with severe co-morbidities. Therefore, plant-derived bioactive compounds are increasingly explored due to their safety, affordability, and multi-targeted therapeutic properties. The present study aimed to comparatively evaluate four commonly used Assamese culinary herbs, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Piper nigrum, and Cinnamomum tamala for their phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential to identify candidates for synergistic anti-arthritic formulations. Methodology: Ethanolic extracts of the selected herbs were analyzed for TPC, TFC, and TTC using spectrophotometric assays, and bioactive constituents were identified via high-resolution LC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging assays. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test (p<0.05). Result and Discussion: Among the tested herbs, turmeric showed markedly higher phytochemical content (TPC: 377.50±4.50 mg GAE/g, TFC: 294.29±2.18 mg CE/g, TTC: 201.25±3.14 mg TAE/g). HR-LCMS revealed characteristic compounds including curcumin (C. longa), 6-gingerol (Z. officinale), Dipiperamide E (P. nigrum), and eugenol (C. tamala). Antioxidant assays confirmed C. longa’s superior free-radical scavenging activity (DPPH IC50: 64.83±0.49 µg/ml; ABTS IC50: 145.60±0.95 µg/ml). Z. officinale, P. nigrum, and C. tamala extracts exhibited moderate but complementary activity profiles. Conclusion: The comparative phytochemical and antioxidant profiling demonstrated that C. longa was the most potent candidate, with Z. officinale, P. nigrum, and C. tamala exhibiting supportive bioactivity. The integrative evidence substantiated the rational design of synergistic polyherbal formulations targeting oxidative stress & inflammation in RA, with potential application in therapeutic development.