Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Nees. and Justicia adhatoda Linn. gained popularity in Manipur as it is in high demand during this COVID-19 pandemic. Locals used this native herb as a folk medicine to relieve Covid-like symptoms as there is no treatment for the viral disease yet. These plants of the Acanthaceae family are evergreen shrubs native from the Indian subcontinent to Indochina, spreading across the subtropical Himalayas and Indo-Malay region, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, etc. Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Nees., commonly known as Nongmangkha in Manipuri, reaches a height of up to 2.4 m with leaves 13–35 cm long. The flowers are orange or brick-red in panicles up to 30 cm long. Justicia adhatoda Linn., commonly known as Nongmangkha-angouba in Manipuri, grows up to 3 cm in height and has leathery leaves 10–15 cm long and about 4 cm wide. Petals are white with purple streaks on the lower lip. Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Nees. used to treat celiac disease, chronic bronchitis, inflammation, diabetes, jaundice, diarrhea, infectious diseases and prevent oxidative stress, asthma, rheumatism, dysentery, scabies, malaria and whooping cough, etc. It has astringent, aphrodisiac, diuretic and antipyretic properties. Likewise, Justicia adhatoda Linn. was used in the Ayurvedic medical system to treat various ailments such as asthma, joint pain, lumbar pain, colds, coughs, eczema, malaria, and whooping cough etc. Many medical systems, including Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Siddha, and other complementary medicine systems, use plants as powerful medicines to treat a variety of dangerous diseases. In India, an estimated 80% of the population rely on herbal therapy (Hiren et al.2013). The healing effect of medicinal plants is based on the secondary plant substances they contain. The bioactive compounds produced by plants act as a defense mechanism against external stress and pathogen concerns (Tepe et al. 2005). Phytochemicals could also exhibit various bioactivities such as: antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties (Okarter and Liu, 2010). The main bioactive components in plants are alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, etc. Antioxidants are a diverse group of chemicals that protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen by suppressing their formation and acting as free radical scavengers. They also prevent many chronic diseases and prolong side effects (Sawa et al. 1999). Because of their reduced side effects, natural antioxidants are gaining increasing attention and are now being intensively studied (Tanizawa et al. 1992; Duh, 1998; Ali et al. 2001; Candan et al. 2003). It is known that many infectious diseases are treated with herbal extracts, which are a source of antimicrobial agents (Brantner and Grein, 1994; Somchit et al. 2003; Lee et al. 2007; Newman and Cragg, 2007). It has been reported that the leaves of Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Nees. and Justicia adhatoda Linn. contain important phytochemicals such as diterpene lactones, phlogantholides, flavonoids and saponins. The plant's main alkaloids, vasicin and vasicinone, are responsible for most of its activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and bronchodilator properties, and is the area debated for many chemical compounds and pharmacological studies.