| Abstract: | The polyphenols, antioxidant activity and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage preventive efficiency of 3 species Valeriana jatamansi, V. hardwickii and V. himalayana were investigated. V. himalayana exhibited significantly higher total phenolics and V. jatamansi showed significantly higher flavonoids and total tannins. Valerenic acid was significantly higher in V. himalayana (1.6 %) in root portion as compared to that of V. jatamansi (0.75 %). Significantly higher antioxidant activity of 2,2′-azinobis benzyl ethyl thiazole 6-sulphonic acid was observed as 4.65 mM AAE/100g in aerial portion and 5.73 mM AAE/100g in root portion; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrzyl was 8.87 mM AAE/100g in aerial portion and 17.53 mM AAE/100g in root portion; and ferric reducing antioxidant power was 4.48 mM AAE/100g in aerial portion and 7.28 mM AAE/100g in root portion was higher in V. himalayana as compared to that of V. jatamansi and V. hardwickii. DNA damage preventive efficiency revealed variation in these species. V. himalayana exhibited better ability to prevent Fenton reagent induced DNA damage (97.97 %) as compared to the other two species at 100 μg/μl of aqueous extract. Based on the results it is recommended that as V. himalayana exhibited higher phytochemicals, antioxidant property and DNA damage preventive efficiency, therefore, more systematic investigation and conservation of this species is suggested to meet the increasing industrial demand. As the species is threatened in its natural habitat the other two species i.e., V. hardwickii and V. jatamansi can be promoted as an alternative source for phenolics and antioxidants. |
