The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the phytochemical characterisation, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of methanol extracts of leaf parts of A. nilagirica. The Phytochemical characterisation by GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 30 phytoconstituents such as Methyl commate A (14.69%), Phytol (13.91%), 8,9-Dihydro-9- vinyl-cycloisolongifoline (7.86%), Neophytadine (6.18%), Alpha- Amyrin (5.52%) and Squalene (4.99%), 9-Acetyl-S-octahydrophenanthrene (4.62%), Olean-12-en-3-one (3.70%), Acetyloxyparthenin (3.60%) as the main components. For antioxidant activity, the leaf extract demonstrates IC50 value 8.80 ± 0.03 µg/ml using DPPH, 30.21 ± 0.1 µg/ml using MCA, and 7.62 ± 0.01 µg/ml using FRAP scavenging assay respectively. The anti-bacterial potential of methanol extract against the 2 Gram-negative and 2 Gram-positive pathogenic bacterial strains show that extract has significant inhibition potential with mean inhibition zone in the range of 16 to 20 mm with MIC values 31.25 to 125 µg/ml. For quantitative phytochemical analysis, the highest Total Phenolic Content (TPC), 372.3 mg GAE/g, Total Flavonoid Content (TFC-1), 287.35 mg QE/g and Total Flavonol Content (TFC-2), 138.43 mg QE/g of dry extract were found for methanol extract respectively.
Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Artemisia nilagirica; GC–MS analysis; Kumaun himalaya; antibacterial activity.