Comprehensive Assessment of Brassica juncea variety rugosa (Pahari Rai) Accessions from the Sub-Himalayan Region: Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Enzymatic, Mineral, and Fatty Acid Profiling

Brassica juncea var. rugosa (Pahari rai), a broad leafy cruciferous vegetable is an essential and easy source of nutrition with numerous health-promoting factors. The phytochemical and antioxidant activity of leaf extract showed the highest phenolic, flavonoid, orthodihydroxyphenol (ODP), and tannin content observed in the EEC-25 hydro-ethanolic leaf extract. The highest protein content in EEC-25 followed by IC-524259 and IC-350800. The foremost concentration of carbohydrates was observed in germplasms IC-363758 (31.47±0.31 mg glucose g ^-1 ), IC-410471 (31.12±0.18 mg glucose g ^-1 ) and EEC-25 (26.45±0.19 mg glucose g ^-1 ). In-vitro antioxidant potential viz., total antioxidant content was observed highest in EEC-25 hydro-ethanolic leaf extract (41.91±0.28 mg AAE g ^-1 ), FRAP activity in EEC-25 (5.91±0.68 mg AAE g ^-1 ), maximum 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity in IC-597933 (IC ₅₀ =21.45±3.4 μg mL ^-1 ), 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), free radical scavenging activity (FRAP) in IC-524259 (94.17±0.48 μg mL ^-1 ), superoxide free radical scavenging activity of hydro-ethanolic leaf extract of PR-15 (IC ₅₀ =124.37 μg mL ^-1 ), highest metal ion chelating activity of EEC-25 hydro-ethanolic extract (IC ₅₀ =52.22 μg mL ^-1 ), maximum reducing power activity in EEC-25 and IC-399839, all being significantly different (p≤0.05) from each other. Positive correlations have been observed among the total antioxidant, phenolic, flavonoid content, ODP, DPPH, and FRAP. Micronutrient analysis Pahari rai leaf was observed to be a rich source of essential minerals such as Mn, Fe, Zn, Ca, Cu, and Mg. Pahari rai was observed to be a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). An essential metric for assessing the nutritional value of various edible oils is the ω6:ω3 ratio was observed to be maximum in IC-350800 (2.53), IC-338535 (2.34), and IC-410471 (2.19). The multiutility of this leafy vegetable against numerous pathological ailments was attributed to the pharmacological activities of phytochemicals and the development of functional food for human consumption. Therefore, the current study would aid in a deeper comprehension of the chemical composition of compounds that may be further separated as well as investigations into their potential pharmacological significance.