Phytochemical, nutritional and antioxidant potential of Panax bipinnatifidus and Panax pseudoginseng: A study of two underutilized and neglected species from the Eastern Himalayan region of India

Abstract

The world we live in today is rapidly inclining towards plant-based therapeutic and curative medicines. among these phytomedicines, the role of Ginseng's (Panax species) significance as a functional food or nutraceutical has piqued interest in recent years, with a growing market value. Keeping in mind, the present study was intended to analyse the phytochemical, nutritional content and antioxidant activity of two Indian species of Panax viz. P. bipinnatifidus and P. pseudoginseng from the East Himalayan region of India. HPLC studies revealed the presense of four predominant ginsenosides viz. Rg1, Re, Rb1 and Rd in both the Panax species. Analysis of phenolic compounds indicated higher values of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vanillic acid in both species. The tuber contains a good amount of protein, dietary fibre and carbohydrates. Dominant content of arginine and glutamic acid were found with cysteine and methionine as limiting amino acids in both the Panax species. High levels of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid were observed with higher values of poly-unsaturates in P. pseudoginseng. Analysis of minerals and trace elements reflected high content of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and selenium in Panax species. The antioxidant study further confirmed the effective potential of these Panax species against several free radicals such as DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anions. The present findings provide biochemical insights into the diverse aspects of east Himalayan Panax species coupled with their antioxidant potential. These findings could be used as a baseline model for enriching the herbal raw materials required for pharmaceutical as well as nutraceutical formulations. Moreover, a commercially oriented cultivation of these species may be developed by adopting effective conservation strategies to conserve these therapeutically important east Himalayan Panax species.