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Pteridophytes including ferns are vascular cryptogams,show various economic values towards food
and fodder indicators, biofertilizers, insect repellents, medicine and folk medicines. Various
pteridophytes have antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, to test the phytochemical and antioxidant
activity of these economically plants, the present study was conducted with one of the pteridophyte
named as Pteris vittata commonly known as Chinese brake in Doon valley.The yield of various crude
extract of different samples ranged from 0.48-0.96%. Phytochemical studies showed that protein,
alkaloids, amino acid, carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, and triterpenoids were present
whereas glycosides were absent in all samples.The total phenolic content of six samples of Pteris
vittata showed large variation ranges from 0.21875±0.467 mg GAE/g to 1.687±1.299.The content of
flavonoid varied from 0.811±0.900 to 0.21865±.467mg QE/g.The study showed that all the samples
of Pteris vittata have as compare to the standard ascorbic acid having IC50 value 300 μg/ml. The
IC50μg/ml ranged from 260-395 μg/ml in the samples.Thus, these findings suggest that Pteris vittata
cultivation should be promoted as a medicinal plant for the development of health care products for
aging and chronic disease as they are rich in phenolic and flavonoid which are good source of
antioxidants. Thus, these findings suggest that Pteris vittata cultivation should be promoted as a
medicinal plant for the development of health care products for aging and chronic disease as they
are rich in phenolic and flavonoid which are good source of antioxidants.
Key words: Pteris vittata, pteridophyte, Antioxidants, Free radicals.