Evaluation of phytochemical profile and phyto-remediation potential of selected medicinal plants of Punjab, Pakistan

Medicinal plants represent vital therapeutics and sources for the synthesis of drugs due to their bioactive phytochemicals, especially polyphenols.Such plants have antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, which make them beneficial against a variety of diseases.Recently, in the 21 st century, traditional herbal remedies particularly from the developing world have attracted global interest.The application in nutraceuticals and cosmetics has increased the further demand for medicinal plants in developed countries, which demands international research collaboration focused on the identification of potent therapeutic species.Such plants may prove to be valuable alternative foods and assist in the discovery of new drugs of commercial importance.Moreover, they can act as a potential source of germplasm for the socio-economic uplift of local communities and the nation as a whole.Based on this, it is suggested that although the present work offered some baseline data, comprehensive phytochemical profiling and functional properties research is recommended.The current research has been considered with the aim to examine the phytochemical content, its HPLC profiles, and phytoremediation potential of three resistant medicinal plants, Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad, Capparis decidua (Forssk.)Edgew., and Calotropis procera (Aiton.)W.T. Aiton, which were collected from four ecologically different districts of Punjab: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahimyar Khan, and Lodhran.