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Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (Lamiaceae)

(Syn.: O. sanctum L.)

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Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

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Abstract

An erect , herbaceous or half-woody plant, that is native to India but pantropic in distribution. This immortal plant is the most sacred plant in Hindu religion, which contains in itself every perfection, cures every ill, and purifies and guides to the heavenly paradise those who worship it. The plant is mentioned in Charak Samhita and Susruta Samhita, the oldest Indian medical texts. Every part of the plant finds its medicinal use in one form or the other. Charak described it as curative of Kapha and Vata. All parts are recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin diseases, arthritis, painful eye diseases, chronic fever, and insect bites. It is also reported to possess antifertility, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifungal, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, analgesic, antispasmodic and adaptogenic activities. Tulsi protects body against physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stresses, against industrial pollutants and heavy metals, improves memory and cognitive functions, and normalizes blood glucose, BP and lipid levels. It is believed that daily use of Tulsi leaves on empty stomach increases immunity, and twenty-one fresh leaves ground into paste with yogurt (curd) and used 2–3 times a day with honey on empty stomach prevent cancer and improve memory. In the Philippines, the decocted leaves are used for aromatic baths, and decoction of roots and leaves is claimed to be useful for gonorrhea. Leaves and stems contain saponins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins; the phenolic compounds include rosmarinic acid, propanoic acid, apigenin, cirsimaritin, isothymusin and isothymonin. Supplementation of diet with leaf powder of diabetic rats significantly reduced FBG, TC, TGs, phospholipids and total lipids, and improved antioxidant status. Adding fresh leaves to the diet significantly decreased serum TC, TGs, phospholipid and LDL-C and increased HDL-C and total fecal sterol contents of normal, and hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Leaf extract also exhibited significant blood sugar-lowering activity in normal and diabetic rats. In a crossover single blind RCT, treatment of Indian NIDDM patients with leaves reduced fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels during treatment. Aqueous extract twice daily after meal to patients suffering from GAD, significantly ameliorated anxiety symptoms and relieved the associated stress.

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    Shahid Akbar

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Akbar, S. (2020). Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (Lamiaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_138

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