Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant potential of Badri Tulsi (Origanum vulgare L.) from Uttarakhand, India

Badri Tulsi (Origanum vulgare L.) is a spice and aromatic plant that plays a crucial role in the primary healthcare practices of the Himalayan communities. Known for its essential oil rich in thymol and carvacrol, the present study aims to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and antioxidative potential of O. vulgare L. collected from different regions of Uttarakhand, India. Phytochemical screening of the crude extracts confirmed the presence of both primary and secondary metabolites such as amino acid, glycosides, phenols, and flavonoids, while saponin and alkaloids were absent in all studied germplasm. Total phenolic content ranged from 3.3 ± 0.19 to 19.4 ± 0.24 (mg GAE/g). The highest phenol content was observed in Ov-11 and Ov-12 accessions (19.4±0.19 (mg GAE/g) collected from Dehradun and Joshimath. Flavonoid content varied from 6.9 ± 0.19 to 76.8 ± 0.49 (mg QE/g). The highest amount of flavonoid was found in Ov-11 (76.8±0.49 (mg QE/g) collected from Dehradun. Antioxidant activity, assessed through DPPH radical scavenging assay, showed IC50 values ranging from 134.46 to 19.07 µg/ml. Ov-14 germplasm demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential with the lowest IC50 (134.46 µg/ml). Variation in phenol, flavonoids and IC50 values in studied germplasm suggest that O. vulgare L. is a rich source of natural antioxidants, and its cultivation and conservation should be encouraged for the development of herbal healthcare products aimed at mitigating aging and chronic diseases.