Nutraceutical evaluation of Rhynchotechum ellipticum, a potent wild edible plant consumed by the tribal of North-Eastern region in India and green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using its leaf extract

The nutritive value, minerals content, in vitro anti-oxidant properties of different solvent extracts and the quantitation of polyphenolics in the leaves of Rhynchotechum ellipticum were carried out by High Performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The present study showed the presence of very good amount of protein (7.76±0.038%), carbohydrate (46.49±0.46%) and various amount of minerals. The methanol extract of plant was found to contain total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid 617.30 ±3.31 GAE mg/100 gm and 265.93±0.82 mg/100 gm respectively. The HPLC analysis also indicated the presence of phenolic acids and polyphenolics in various amounts in this wild edible plant. The abundance of protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals and natural antioxidant components in this plant makes it a considerable source of nutrition and could be consumed as a regular diet of the human being. The phytochemicals present in the leaves extract of R. ellipticum were utilized for the one-step green synthesis method of R. ellipticum conjugated AuNPs (RE-AuNPs). The formation of RE-AuNPs was confirmed by Surface Plasmon Resonance spectroscopy (SPR), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The RE-AuNPs can be potentially useful in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.