EVALUATION OF SOLVENT-DEPENDENT ANTIOXIDANTAND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF ROOTEXTRACTFROM Arundinaria suberecta Munro

The emergence of drugs derived from traditional medicinal plants has increased in recent years. Arundinariasuberecta Munro (Poaceae) is one of the significant plants traditionally used by healers in Sikkim for treating kidneystones. In this investigation, the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Arundinaria suberecta Munro(A. suberecta Munro) root extracts were investigated using various solvents. A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) was used for the identification of functional groups. The absorption band showed the presence of hydroxyl groups (3325 to 3365 cm-1), C-H stretching (2800 to 2920 cm-1) and carbonyl groups (1700 cm-1), indicatingtheexistence of phenols, fatty acids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. The antioxidant efficacy of the samples wasinvestigated using both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and the metal chelation assay. Themethanolic extract demonstrated the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity (94%) and significant metal chelating activity (69%), showcasing the richness of bioactive components in the extract. The lowest IC50 valueswere observed in methanol (16.34 µg/mL) and ethyl acetate extracts (38.23 µg/mL), reflecting strong antioxidant properties. The assessment of antimicrobial properties was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichiacoli and Candida albicans using the well diffusion method. The ethyl acetate extract revealed notable antibacterial activity against E. coli (18 ± 0.9 mm) and S. aureus (17 ± 02 mm), while no antifungal activity was detected against Candida albicans. These results highlight the root extracts of A. suberecta Munro as promising sources of natural antioxidant and antibacterial agents, supporting traditional uses and offering potential for pharmaceutical development.