Phytochemical profiling and pharmacognostic activity of Lycopodiella cernua (L.) Pic. Serm. a lesser-known plant from Mizoram, North East India

Lycopodiella cernua (L.) Pic. Serm. is a lesser-known pteridophyte found in Mizoram. The present study provides insights into phytochemical profiling, antibacterial and antioxidant activities to validate its medicinal potential. Phytochemical screening of the chloroform and methanol extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, terpenoids, phenols, glycosides, saponins, phytosterols, and flavonoids, whereas alkaloids and tannins were absent. The total polyphenol content in the chloroform extract was 134.0mg GAE g^-1, whereas that in the methanolic extract was 137.5mg GAE g^-1. The flavonoid content was higher (131.6mg QE g^-1) in the methanol extract of L. cernua than in the chloroform extract (116.90mg QE g^-1). The methanol extract showed potent inhibitory effects against all tested microorganisms, whereas the chloroform extract showed no activity against the tested organisms. The DPPH scavenging assay showed that the methanolic extract had 7.2-fold higher antioxidant activity than the chloroform extract, as indicated by the IC50 values obtained for both extracts.