Black tea is one of the most popular beverages consumed in the world. It is stronger in taste as well as in flavour compared to other less oxidized teas. It is made from the leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis var. assamica. Black tea can be supplemented with other plant parts to enhance its flavour and health-promoting properties. In India, Ocimum spp. leaves have been used for their medicinal properties since ancient times. These leaves can be added during black tea preparation to enhance their aroma and healing activities. O. gratissimum, known as “Scent Leaf”, is traditionally used for the management of many diseases, such as the common cold and cough. This work was designed to evaluate the antioxidant interaction between black tea and O. gratissimum (leaves) at five different ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1, and 3:1). To determine the antioxidant activity, chemical-based methods and ex vivo assays were conducted. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were calculated by Folin’s reagent and aluminium chloride colorimetric assays, respectively. The antioxidant interactions were determined by the combination index (CI), using CompuSyn software. The black tea exhibited higher radical quenching activity (DPPH, ABTS, and NO) and antihaemolytic and anti-lipid peroxidation potential compared to the Ocimum gratissimum infusion. Variation in the antioxidant capability was observed for various ratios of the black tea and O. gratissimum (BT+OG) combination. The antioxidant interaction between BT and OG ranged from nearly additive to antagonistic. The total phenolic content was higher for O. gratissimum, whereas the total flavonoid content was high in black tea. The binary mixture of BT+OG at all ratios (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) expressed similar phenolic and flavonoid levels. Overall, black tea and O. gratissimum displayed additive antioxidant interaction and the highest free radical scavenging potential at a 3:1 proportion in all the performed parameters.

A comprehensive understanding of the ecology of vegetation and soil in natural habitats that harbour endangered species is crucial for the development of effective conservation strategies and promotion of ecosystem restoration. This research aimed to investigate the plant composition and physicochemical characteristics of soil in the native environments of Phlomis cashmeriana (P. cashmeriana), an important medicinal plant in the Kashmir Himalaya region. Forty eight random quadrats were laid across four selected sites where P. cashmeriana thrived. Soil samples were collected from all four locations and employing conventional techniques to analyse the soil's physicochemical attributes. Our study revealed a total of 55 plant species across these sites, with dominance observed in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae families. The analysis of the Importance Value Index (IVI) indicated that Trifolium repens (68.84), Cynodon dactylon (56.90), and Urtica dioica (36.18) were the dominant species within the habitats of P. cashmeriana. It was noted that Phlomis cashmeriana exhibit favourable associations with other species in its environment, with 230 instances of positive, 233 instances of negative and 684 instances of random associations. Soil pH levels varied from 5.9 at KUBG to 8.5 at the Jawahar tunnel. There was a noticeable difference in soil organic carbon (OC) and organic matter (OM) values among the study sites, with Jawahar tunnel displaying the lowest (OC = 7.02 and OM = 12.09) and Daksum exhibiting the highest values (OC = 9.94 and OM = 17.13) respectively. This study provides valuable quantitative insights into the vegetation and soil ecology of habitats occupied by P. cashmeriana. These findings can serve as a foundation for the development of conservation strategies, guiding sustainable management practices, and informing habitat restoration efforts for this endangered species.