ocimum sanctum,Family(Lamiaceae)
Botany
An erect and herbaceous branched plant, 1 meter high or less. Stems are
covered with spreading hairs. Leaves are oblong-ovate and 2 to 4-5 cm long, with
pointed or blunt tips, somewhat toothed margins. Flowers are pink or purplish,
about 7 mm long, borne on racemes 5 to 14 cm long. Corolla is small.
Nutlets rounded or broadly oblong, slightly compressed and smooth.
Distribution
Found throughout India
Parts utilizedwhole plant Properties and constituentsUsed as a mosquito repellant in Leaves yield a volatile oils or methyl homo anisic acid, plus cineol and linalool. Seed decoction used as demulcent. Leaves are expectorant and stomachic. Considered to possess antifertility, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifungal, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antiemetic, antispasmodic, analgesic actions. Eugenol (1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-allybenzene), the active constituent, considered to be largely responsible for its therapeutic potential. UsesOthers It is the most sacred plant in Hindu religion. In for flavoring foods. Folkloric Decoction of leaves used for aromatic baths. Decoction of roots and leaves used for gonorrhea. Used for rheumatic baths. Dried plant used for croup, diarrhea, catarrh, bronchitis and diarrhea. Decoction of roots used as diaphoretic for malarial fevers. Leaf juice used for earache. Infusion of leaves as stomachic and hepatic infections. Fresh juice iinduces vomitiing and expels worms. Mixed with honey, ginger and onion juice, used as expectorant for bronchitis and coughs. In Java, used to increase milk secretion. In malaria, dysentery, stress situations, worm infestations, superficial fungal infections, and as diuretic. Studies • Radioprotective: The radioprotective effects of two flavonoids, orientin and vicenin from the leaves of OS were studied by evaluating chromosome aberration in bone marrow cells of irradiated mice. Results suggest ocimum flavonoids may be promising for human radiationn protection. • Hypoglycemic:In a study, one of 24 of 30 medicinal plants, OS showed significant blood glucose lowering activity. • Anti-anxiety: Ethanolic extract study showed leaves possess anti-anxiety effects probably through a central nervous system pathway that may involve the GABA-ergic system. Another study on noise-induced changes in rats were normalized with pretreatment with OS extract indicating its stress-alleviating effect. • Anti-tussive: Study shows an antitussive effect probably by central action mediated through both opiod and GABA-ergic system. • :Antibacterial: Study of ethanol extracts showed antibacterial activity, greater in Gram positive bacter than gram-negative, esp against B subtilis and S aureus; comparatively less than Origanum majorana. Another study on OS essential oil showed marked antibacterial efficiency against all bacteria tested, maximum against S aureus and marked antibacterial efficacy against P mirabilis, P aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp and E coli. • CNS-Protective: A study showed the ethanol leaf extract of O sanctum to have a protective effect against haloperidol-iinduced catalepsy and indicates that OS may be used to prevent drug-induced extrapyramidal effects. • Antioxidant: A study showed the leaves of OS to possess both superoxide and hydroxyl free radical scavenging effect and attributes the antioxidant property to be responsible for its hypoglycemic effect. • Myocardial Salvaging Effect: A study showed Ocimum sanctum has cardioprotecdtive effects against ISP-induced myocardial necrosis probably through improved ventricular function, augmentation of endogenous antioxidants and suppression of oxidative stress. • Anti-cancer activity: Administration of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Ocimum sanctum to mice with sarcomatous tumor resulted in a significant reduction in tumor volume and increase in lifespan. • Anti-Fertility / Abortifacient: Leaves of O sanctum are said to be abortifacient in women. The benzene and petroleum ether extracts of leaves have been reported to produce 80% to 60% antifertility activity in female rats. In male rats, benzene extract of leaves has been reported to re4duce spermatogenesis by retarding sertoli cell activity. • Anti-Ulcer activity: Study showed the extract of OS possess antiulcerogenic properties with reduction of the ulcer index, free and total acidity in rats. Seven days of treatment increased mucous secretion. • Antidiabetic activity: A study indicated OS leaf extracts to have stimulatory effects on physiological pathways of insulin secretion to explain its antidiabetic action. • Hepatoprotective activity: A study showed the leaf extract of OS to have a hepatoprotective effect on hepatotoxicty induced by antitubercular drugs. The exact mechanism has not been defined, but OS antioxidant activity seems to be the most important mode of its hepatoprotective effect. • Eugenol: Ocimum sanctum is a cheaper source for the commercial extraction of eugenol. The aerial parts (leaves, flowers and stems) contain essential oils with good percentage of eugenol. The use of O sanctum in the treatment of gastric ulcer has been attributed to the antiulcerogenic action of eugenol and essential oil from leaves. It has also been shown to be immunostimulant. • Anti-Noise / Stress Alleviating: Study of ethanolic extract on noise stress induced changes in albino rats – leukopenia, increased corticosterone levels and enhanced neutrophil functions as indicated by increase in Candida phagocytosis and NBT reduction, showed normalization of the altered values by pretreatment with O S extract |
