Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential of Hedychium spicatum Buch. Ham. ex D. Don in west Himalaya, India

Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential of Hedychium spicatum were analyzed for 16 different natural populations located in Uttarakhand (west Himalaya) for promotion as health or medicinal food. Total phenolic compounds varied among populations from 4.70 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) to 2.84 mg GAE/g dry weight. Three in vitro antioxidant assays, i.e. azinobisethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid radical scavenging (ABTS) assay, diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, showed significant (p < 0.05) differences across populations. ABTS assay showed highest values of antioxidant potential ranging from 2.581 mM ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE) per 100 g to 1.91 mM AAE per 100 g dry weight, followed by FRAP assay (1.921–0.6635 mM AAE per 100 g). Lowest values were observed for DPPH assay, which varied from 0.549 to 1.059 mM AAE per 100 g dry weight. All assays (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP) showed significant (p < 0.05) correlation with total phenolic compounds. Total phenolic compounds showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) to altitude.