title: Evaluation of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of two traditional medicinal plants of India: Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita are temperate Himalayan medicinal plants used as potent herbal drugs in Indian traditional systems of medicine (Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phytochemicals of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the two Swertia species were analyzed. The antioxidant potential of all the extracts was assessed by measuring total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antibacterial activity was assessed against various pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria in vitro by Kirby-Bauer agar well diffusion method and antidiabetic activity was assessed by α-amylase inhibition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Methanolic leaf extracts of both the species of Swertia contain significant antibacterial as well as anti-diabetic potential, whereas methanolic root extracts of both species were found to have potential antioxidant activity. However, Swertia chirayita showed better activities than Swertia cordata although both species have good reputation in traditional Indian medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the species are having high medicinal potential in terms of their antioxidant, antibacterial and antidiabetic activities. Studies are required to further elucidate antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antibacterial potentials using various in-vitro, in-vivo biochemical and molecular biology techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lovely School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lovely School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Fatima I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Abdulsalam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lovely School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, International Medical School, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Aniruddha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lovely School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Naveen Reddy
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Eruvaram
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lovely School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Tabarak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malik
keywords: Anti-diabetic activity; Antibacterial activity; Antioxidant; Chirata; Swertia chirayita; Swertia cordata