Comparative study of phytochemical properties and antioxidant potential of Plagiochasma appendiculatum Lehm. & Lindenb. and Riccia aravalliensis Pande & Udar

Plants have long served as an important source of medicinal agents and bioactive compounds. This has led to using numerous medicinal plants with therapeutic properties due to their valuable bioactive compounds. Bryophytes, a group of non-vascular plants, have been reported to exhibit diverse therapeutic activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antidiabetic effects. Plagiochasma appendiculatum Lehm. & Lindenb. and Riccia aravalliensis Pandé & Udar, 2 tropical bryophyte species, were examined for their phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds in both species, with some variations across different solvent extracts. Quantitative analysis showed that P. appendiculatum generally had higher total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) compared to R. aravalliensis. Ethanol extracts demonstrated the highest TPC and TFC for both species. Antioxidant assays using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide scavenging methods indicated that P. appendiculatum possessed stronger antioxidant potential than R. aravalliensis, with ethanol extracts exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity, followed by methanol and chloroform extracts. These findings suggest that both bryophyte species, particularly P. appendiculatum, are rich sources of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with significant antioxidant potential. The results highlight the potential of these non-vascular plants as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds, warranting further research to isolate and characterise specific bioactive molecules and elucidate their therapeutic potential in managing oxidative stress-related conditions. This study contributes to the growing evidence supporting the medicinal value of bryophytes and their potential applications in ethnomedicine and drug discovery.