Phytochemical analysis and bioactivity reports of ethnomedicinal plants from West Bengal, India.

The biodiversity-rich forests of the Jhargram subdivision of West Bengal, India houses many lesser-known prospective plants. Four ethnomedicinal plants from this locality-, , , and reported for traditional medical uses by local forest tribes have been analyzed for phytochemical constituents and bioactivity potential, viz., antioxidant, antibacterial and antitumor activity. and plants were rich in alkaloids while and showed tannin abundance. showed maximum alkaloid content, that is, 711 mg strychnine equivalent/gm dry weight. Consequently, these plant extracts showed decent antioxidant activity which is reflected in their antibacterial and antitumor potencies. showed strong bactericidal activity against Gram-negative bacteria, particularly against and , while showed robust antitumor activity against cervical cancer cells SiHa at a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC) of 86 µg/ml. Hence, the biodiversity-rich Jhargram forest should be conserved to protect the potential repertoire for ethnomedicinal plants.