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Vol. 38 No. 3 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 3, 2026

Copyright (c) 2026 A. Shamsher, M. Hasnain, L. Douglas, H. Ishtiaq Hussain, H. Shabbir, A. Sultan

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Exploration of Nutritional and Bioactive Potential from Aromatic Herbal Plants of Gilgit-Baltistan: A Pathway to Functional Food Development

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2026.33062
A. Shamsher
Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltitan, Pakistan
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4210-6877
M. Hasnain
Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltitan, Pakistan
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8549-423X
L. Douglas
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7824-3542
H. Ishtiaq Hussain
Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltitan, Pakistan
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6090-7040
H. Shabbir
Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltitan, Pakistan
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2962-2439
A. Sultan
Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltitan, Pakistan
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9222-5217

Corresponding Author(s) : A. Shamsher

shamsher.ali@kiu.edu.pk

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 38 No. 3 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 3, 2026

Abstract

This study explored the phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, ascorbic acid and mineral contents, as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of methanolic and hot water extracts of six aromatic herbal plants viz. Hippophae rhamnoides L., Thymus serpyllum, Taraxacum officinale, Mentha arvensis L., Rosa rugosa and Prunus persica, from Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in the studied plants, including proteins, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, oils and resins. The methanolic extracts showed higher values for all parameters compared to hot water extracts. Furthermore, T. serpyllum had the highest total phenolic content (18.769 mg GAE/g), flavonoid content (2.445 mg QE/g), antioxidant activity (91.72%) and significant antibacterial effects, surpassing the green tea sample (12.901 mg GAE/g). In contrast, the H. rhamnoides L., leaves exhibited the highest tannin content (195.744 mg GAE/g) and significant levels of Ca (19.64 mg/kg), Zn (10.43 mg/kg), Mg (12.73 mg/kg) and P (27.71 mg/kg), whereas T. officinale leaves had the highest vitamin C content (278.59 mg/100 g). Overall, the nutritional and bioactive properties of the studied plants were comparable to the green tea sample, highlighting their potential as nutraceuticals and their suitability for functional tea preparation and traditional therapeutic applications.

Keywords

Aromatic herbal plants Bioactive compounds Functional tea Gilgit-Baltistan Phytochemicals Human health
(1)
Shamsher, A.; Hasnain, M.; Douglas, L.; Hussain, H. I.; Shabbir, H.; Sultan, A. Exploration of Nutritional and Bioactive Potential from Aromatic Herbal Plants of Gilgit-Baltistan: A Pathway to Functional Food Development. ajc 2026, 38, 582-588.
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