PHYTOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFICACY OF TRIDAX PROCUMBENS L.: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF POLLUTED AND UNPOLLUTED SAMPLES

Medicinal plants serve as a rich reservoir of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential, yet environmental pollution may influence their phytochemical composition and pharmacological efficacy. The present study evaluated and compared the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antibacterial properties, and heavy metal accumulation in Tridax procumbens L. collected from polluted (roadside, Veli, Trivandrum) and unpolluted (Attingal) environments. Methanolic extracts were prepared using the cold maceration method and subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening, quantitative analysis of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging assay, α-amylase inhibition assay, and antibacterial testing against Escherichia coli (MTCC 56) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 9760) using the agar well diffusion method. Heavy metal concentrations were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Preliminary screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides, quinones, and starch in both samples, with saponins absent. The unpolluted sample exhibited higher TPC (28.48 mg/ml) compared to the polluted sample (24.4 mg/ml), while the polluted sample showed slightly higher TFC (7.70 mg/ml) than the unpolluted sample (7.03 mg/ml). The unpolluted extract demonstrated superior antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 171.1 µg/ml) compared to the polluted extract (IC₅₀ = 621.1 µg/ml) and greater anti-diabetic potential (IC₅₀ = 250 µg/ml vs. 350 µg/ml). Antibacterial activity was more pronounced against S. aureus than E. coli, with the unpolluted sample showing a larger zone of inhibition against E. coli (20 mm) compared to the polluted sample (10 mm). ICP-MS analysis of the polluted sample revealed Chromium (~39.5 µg/g), Zinc (~17.2 µg/g), Nickel (~6.7 µg/g), Lead (~4.5 µg/g), and Cadmium (~0.48 µg/g), with Cadmium slightly exceeding WHO permissible limits for herbal raw materials. The findings confirm the phytoremediation potential of T. procumbens while emphasizing the importance of sourcing medicinal plants from uncontaminated environments to ensure safety and therapeutic efficacy. The study recommends targeted cultivation practices and regular quality control measures for the safe utilization of this medicinal plant.