Medicinal plants have therapeutic value because of the chemical substances present in them. This study was performed to explore the antibacterial and antioxidant potential of three medicinally important plants, such as Caesalpinia bonduc (karanjuwa), Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy), and Quercus infectoria (Majuphal) extract; that are locally used for the cure of various diseases, particularly dengue fever. To study the anti-bacterial, phytochemical and antioxidative potential of these plants, plant extracts were made in ethanol, methanol, and ethyl acetate. Antibacterial assay revealed that all the selected plant extracts of C. bonduc, T. cordifolia, and Q. infectoria variably inhibited the growth of test bacterial strains. The maximum antibacterial activity observed for the ethyl acetate extract of T. cordifolia was against Bacillus (41 mm) and Pseudomonas (38 mm). Phytochemical analysis of extracts of C. bonduc, T. cordifolia, and Q. infectoria revealed the presence of alkaloids, quinones, flavonoids, phenols, and reducing sugars. Antioxidative analysis of the extracts of C. bonduc, T. cordifolia, and Q. infectoria, as revealed by the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay (66%, 62% and 77%), phosphomolybdate (480, 520 and 490 µg/ml), showed ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay (266%, 371% and 265%), and total flavonoid content (75%, 170% and 155%) assay. Due to significant antibacterial and antioxidant potential, the extract of T. cordifolia was subjected to Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis that confirmed the presence of different bioactive components in the extract of T. cordifolia (Giloy). Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrophotometry (GCMS) analysis of the bioactive fractions revealed Phthalic acid and Benzene acetic acid as the compounds responsible for imparting good antibacterial and antioxidative potential to the ethyl acetate extract of T. cordifolia. These findings highlight the potential of T. cordifolia as a valuable medicinal plant for the development of future antimicrobial drugs.
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