Comparative assessment of phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of mentha arvensis

Abstract

Plants and herbs have been used as sources of safest compounds in the management of diseases as well as in the restoration and fortification of body structures in ancient medical systems such as Ayurvedic, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine. The major motive for incorporating herbs in healthcare is to develop a healthy relationship with the body's chemistry while eschewing off-target and unwanted side effects produced by synthetic medications. A surge in the human population, an insufficient supply of drugs, a non-manageable cost of treatments, and a surge in antimicrobial resistance to presently used drugs have forced the pharmacognostic researchers to trace out novel plant-based bioactive compounds to be used as therapeutic agents against innumerous kinds of diseases and disorders. In this study, we include two different samples of Mentha arvensis also known as Pudina or wild mint procured from two different locations in Uttar Pradesh region of India. One sample was taken near the edges of flowing stream in Meerut (Sample 1) and the other sample was taken from hilltop near Dehradun (Sample 2). The major objectives of this study were to analyse the effect of continuous water exposure as cold stress on the phytochemical properties, comparative antioxidant potential as well as antibacterial action of the Mentha arvensis leaves procured from Summit and Rivulet. The dried and powered leaves were extracted via four solvent systems of varied polarity viz, Methanol [M], Chloroform [C], Acetone [A], and Water [AQ]. Comparative phytochemical analysis including total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant potential along with antibacterial activity of both samples was evaluated from all extracts. Our results revealed that continuous exposure of water as in Sample 1 has a prominent impact on the phytochemical properties, antioxidant potential and anti-bacterial effect of the Mentha arvensis leaves. GC-MS studies of Menta arvensis essential oil revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds most of which are secondary metabolites, and we attribute antioxidant and anti-bacterial activity of Menta arvensis leaves to these compounds.