Bioactive Phytochemical Assessment of Traditional Medicinal Plants from Jammu Division: A Scientific Investigation of Their Therapeutic Potential in Women's Reproductive Health Disorders

Abstract

Women's reproductive health remains a critical global healthcare challenge, with limited therapeutic options and increasing resistance to conventional treatments. Traditional Ayurvedic medicinal systems offer promising alternatives through ethnobotanical knowledge accumulated over centuries. This investigation presents a systematic phytochemical evaluation of five medicinal plants traditionally employed in gynaecological therapy within the Jammu Division of J&K, India. Through sequential extraction methodology employing solvents of varying polarities (hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol), we obtained extraction yields ranging from 22.92% to 33.22%, with Asparagus racemosus demonstrating optimal recovery (33.22%) (Sasidharan et al., 2010). Comprehensive qualitative screening revealed universal presence of secondary metabolites across all species, while spectrophotometric quantification established distinct phytochemical signatures. Notable findings include exceptionally high alkaloid concentrations in Trachyspermum ammi (156.73 µg/mL), maximal saponin content in Asparagus racemosus (98.34 µg/mL), and superior flavonoid profiles in Cinnamomum zeylanicum (103.67 µg/mL). These bioactive compounds demonstrate significant therapeutic relevance through hormonal modulation, anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and antioxidant pathways essential for gynaecological health management (Patibandla et al., 2024). Our findings bridge traditional ethnomedicinal knowledge with contemporary phytochemical science, establishing quantitative benchmarks for standardization and supporting development of evidence-based herbal therapeutics for women's reproductive health.