For a long period of time, plants have been a valuable source of natural products for maintaining human health. In the last decade, there has been a more intensive study for natural therapies. The use of plant compounds for pharmaceutical purposes is gradually increasing in the world. The Himalaya is credited all over the world as a treasure of medicinal and aromatic plants, which in turn prove as a treasure of bioactive agents. Among these, a good fraction of species is critically endangered. Valerian originated from the Latin word “Valere” meaning ‘to be in good health’. Valerian and Nardostachys (a substitute) belong to the Valerianaceae (now Caprifoliaceae) family. Due to similar species name and some common components, these plants are used as the substitute of each other. The root extracts of Valeriana jatamansi and Nardostachys jatamansi in various solvents are investigated for their antimicrobial property using the agar diffusion method. The antioxidant properties of both plant root extracts are analyzed using DPPH assay. The root extracts are further subjected to Lipoxygenase enzyme inhibition assay (a kit based method) to determine the anti-inflammatory properties. Methanolic extracts of Valerian show better antimicrobial effect compared to Nardostachys. It also shows the better anti-oxidant property. In contrast, antifungal and the anti-inflammatory property are shown by Nardostachys is better as compared to Valerian. According to the results obtained, it can be concluded that the plants cannot be really used a substitute; as they show different properties.