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Abstract

Medicinal plants are important natural sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds that have therapeutic potential. The aim of the study was to assess the Caralluma tuberculata and Asparagus racemosus, collected from two different locations in Namal Valley, Punjab, Pakistan for their nutritional composition, heavy metal accumulation, phytochemical content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities as well as metal associated health risks. A total of 12 samples of C. tuberculata and A. racemosus collected from two sites (Rikhi and Namal village) were analysed using a comparative experimental design. Proximate analysis revealed variation in nutritional parameters among the studied plants. A. racemosus had the highest crude protein (22.15%), crude fat (13.54%), and crude fibre (42.37%), whereas C. tuberculata had the highest carbohydrate (48.78%) and ash contents (14.19%). Heavy metal values were within permissible limits: Zn ranged from 34.49to 55.64 mg/kg, Mn from 17.29 to 42.19 mg/kg, and Cu from 11.63 to 36.05 mg/kg. Risk assessment parameters including Estimated daily intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI) suggested their safe composition. Phytochemical analysis showed considerable levels of total phenolics (41.55–122.84 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (15.60–69.04 mg QE/g), associated with strong antioxidant effect (31.55-73.01%). Antimicrobial testing demonstrated the inhibitory potential against Escherichia coli (clear inhibition zone beyond the 9mm disc: 1.94 mm to 21.91 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (5.04 mm to 24.73 mm) although their antibacterial effects were generally lower than those of the positive control ciprofloxacin. Pearson correlation analysis, PCA and hierarchical clustering revealed the positive relationships between phytochemical constituents and biological activity. The overall findings suggest that the investigated medicinal plants meet the established guidelines for medicinal plants in terms of heavy metal concentrations and potential health risks, and demonstrated the promising phytochemical composition and biological activity. The results support their potential for development of natural therapeutic agents and highlighted the need for the conservation of these valuable traditional medicinal resources

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