Phytochemistry, antioxidant activity and traditional uses of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk among the people of Lower Assam, India

Abstract

Naturopathy has gained popularity in recent years for the treatment of various health diseases, due to the numerous adverse side effects of synthetic medications. Assam in North-Eastern part of India is a great treasure of bio-resources, particularly for plant diversity and animal diversity, and has become a source of hundreds of medicinal herbs. Different tribal and non-tribal inhabitants of this area have knowledge about using of various plants as well as their products to heal a variety of health illnesses. Among these, Ipomoea aquatica Forssk is widely used among the Lower Assam ethnic groups. A survey study was conducted to validate the traditional therapeutic uses of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk in treating various health related disorders among the native people of Lower Assam. Further, an investigation in the laboratory was performed to examine the phytochemical components and the antioxidant activity of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk using standard methods. As the methanolic extract showed the best results, a GC-MS analysis was also performed in attempt to identify the bioactive component of the methanolic extract. This confirms their traditional use as food and medicinal.