Evaluation of phytotoxic, antioxidant and anticancer activities of Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Cannabis sativa L.

Medicinal plants contain variety of phytochemicals, including lignans, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, etc. with a variety of biological functions. In the present study, Cannabis sativa and Parthenium hysterophorus are investigated for phytotoxic, antioxidant and anticancer activity along with their phytochemical analysis. Results demonstrated that aqueous extracts of selected plants leaves had significant phytotoxic effect on growth of Vigna radiata L (Mung bean) and Zea mays L. (Maize) seedlings as evident from various parameters studied (shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight). Results of antioxidant study revealed that both aqueous extracts (C. sativa & P. hysterophorus leaves) showed good scavenging activities. The IC50 value were found to be 348.21 µg/ml and 610.50 µg/ml respectively. Further, both extracts also showed antiproliferative effects against human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) A549 in MTT assay. The GI50 for aqueous extracts of C. sativa & P. hysterophorus leaves were found to be 47.75 µg/ml and 53.78 µg/ml respectively. Activities obtained in the present studies are may be due to various phenolic phytochemicals present in the extracts. Conclusively, results of the present study highlight bioactive efficacy of both plants selected plants.