Abstract

The plant Justicia wynaadensis is consumed by the local community of Kodagu district, Karnataka, India for its medicinal properties. In our present study, we have identified and estimated  polyphenols and  flavonoids  in  the plant extract. The medicinal properties ofJ. wynaadensis extract may be due to the presence of the above mentioned phytochemicals. The observed high antioxidant property could be related to the presence of phenolics, flavonoids as well as catalase and peroxidase enzyme activities. The plant J. wynaadensis may be exploited as a source of natural antioxidant and as a possible food supplement.

Key words: Justicia wynaadensis, antioxidants, phenolics, flavonoids, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), enzyme activity.