Ocimum basilicum L.

The fixed oil of Ocimum sanctum L. (Labiatae) was found to possess significant antiulcer activity against aspirin-, indomethacin-, alcohol-, histamine-, reserpine-, serotonin- and stress-induced ulceration in experimental animal models. Significant inhibition was also observed in gastric secretion and aspirin-induced gastric ulceration in pylorus ligated rats. The lipoxygenase inhibitory, histamine antagonistic and antisecretory effects of the oil could probably have contributed towards antiulcer activity. O.sanctum fixed oil may be considered to be a drug of natural origin which possesses both anti-inflammatory and antiulcer activity.

Allelopathy is a natural phenomenon that refers to any direct or indirect positive or negative effect of one plant on another through the release of chemical compounds excreted into the environment. In order to evaluate the allelopathic effects of the Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L.) extract on germination and early growth of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), an experiment was conducted in Research station of Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) branch in 2013. The experiment was arranged as a factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. The experiment consisted of four stubble concentrations (control, 25, 50 and 100 g/L) along with Basil and Common purslane plants. The results obtained showed that the allelopathic effects of the Bermuda grass extract on coleoptile length, radicale length, coleoptile weight and radicale weight of Basil and Common purslane were significant but for germination percent was non-significant. The results of this research revealed that increasing in extract concentration lead to decrease seedling growth of Basil and Common purslane. Our results showed that Bermuda grass extract had strong allelopathic and inhibitory effects on different traits of Basil and Common purslane. Get the full articles at: http://www.innspub.net/volume-6-number-5-may-2015-jbes/

Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) and Laurus nobilis (bay leaves or laurel) have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and also extensively employed as spices for adding aroma and flavor to various food products. Citrus reticulata (mandarin) is mainly used in food industry for juice production, while its peel as main byproduct contains high concentration of valuable substances. The samples were collected in Lastva Grbaljska (Montenegrin coast) and purchased from the market. Since the oxidative stress results in development of numerous diseases, among them neurodegeneration and diabetes , the antioxidant activity, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic activities were analyzed, aiming to compare potential of plants cultivated under natural conditions and commercially purchased from the market, as well as to compare the effect of different solvents applied in the extraction process. Water, methanol and acetone extracts of leaves and peel were tested by DPPH and total reducing power (TRP) methods for determination of antioxidant activity, and by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase inhibition assays for analyzing the other activities. Total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents were also determined. The acetonic extract of L. nobilis from Lastva showed the highest TPC, DPPH, TRP, and α-glucosidase inhibition, while water extract of commercial L. nobilis exhibited the highest AChE inhibition. The leaves of L. nobilis are demonstrated to be promising antioxidant, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic agent.

Ocimum basilicum is a common herb that is known for its ornamental and therapeutic importance. The chemical constituents which have been isolated from the plant include terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponin glycosides and ascorbic acid. It has been reported to be hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antihyperglycemic, hypolipidemic, antitoxic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal. The present review is aimed to cover the phytochemical study and pharmacological investigations on this important medicinal herb.

Traditional mineral hydroponic solutions are resource intensive and energy demanding, while also producing a lot of waste, so there is a demand to find more sustainable alternatives of nutrient sources for soilless cultivation.

A proof-of-concept experiment was designed in Malmö, Sweden. A deep-water culture (DWC) system with 12 L of tap water was set up with 6 basil seedlings (Ocimum basilicum) and an air pump with air stone for aeration and mixing. Upon starting, 140 mL of dried and crushed vermicompost powder was added and mixed and no further water or vermicompost powder was added for the remainder of the experiment.The objective was to test if the nutrients available in the original vermicompost would be available in soluble form after the drying and crushing processes, and with minimal surface area available in the DWC system for any potential biological activity. An additional advantage of drying and crushing vermicompost to obtain such a powder is in reducing existing biological activity, creating a more stable product for ease of storage and transport. This creates a more stable product with reduced risk of insect propagation or mold development in the vermicompost.

The experiment continued for 50 days, and by the end the plants were visibly healthy, had grown to a full size, and showed no signs of discoloration or deficiencies.  However, aphids (Aphidoidea) were found in plants occasionally due to external contamination, and initial plant growth showed leaf discoloration.

In conclusion, this proof-of-concept experiment has shown that a DWC hydroponics system can work for the production of herbs such as basil using a stable, processed form of vermicompost dissolved in water as the nutrient solution.

Geranyl diphosphate (GPP), the precursor of most monoterpenes, is synthesized in plastids from dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate by GPP synthases (GPPSs). In heterodimeric GPPSs, a non-catalytic small subunit (GPPS-SSU) interacts with a catalytic large subunit, such as geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, and determines its product specificity. Here, snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) GPPS-SSU was over-expressed in tomato fruits under the control of the fruit ripening-specific polygalacturonase promoter to divert the metabolic flux from carotenoid formation towards GPP and monoterpene biosynthesis. Transgenic tomato fruits produced monoterpenes, including geraniol, geranial, neral, citronellol and citronellal, while exhibiting reduced carotenoid content. Co-expression of the Ocimum basilicum geraniol synthase (GES) gene with snapdragon GPPS-SSU led to a more than threefold increase in monoterpene formation in tomato fruits relative to the parental GES line, indicatin...

ABSTRACT Identification and characterization of natural products with antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity has received much interest over the past few years. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries which have enormous diversity of plants and yet majority stays scientifically neglected and undiscovered. In this study, the ethanol extracts of 18 Ethiopian wild medicinal plants were investigated for their in vitro antioxidant and anti-proliferative potential. For this purpose DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) and TPC (total phenolic content) assays together with MTT cell viability assay (performed on Hep-G2 and MRC-5) were used. Extracts of Carissa spinarum, Dodonaea angustifolia, Jasminum abyssinicum, Rumex nepalensis, Rubus steudneri and Verbascum sinaiticum exhibited the most significant results. However, it was discovered that C. spinarum, J. abyssinicum and R. steudneri possessed considerable toxicity against normal MRC-5 cell line. Only extracts of D. angustifolia and R. nepalensis demonstrated significant combinatory antioxidant/anti-proliferative effect, while V. sinaiticum showed best selective anti-proliferative activity. Since aforementioned extracts also exerted low or minimal toxicity to normal cells, we suggest these as prospective material for further development of novel plant-based agents effective against oxidative stress related diseases.

Biochemical detection (BCD) methods are commonly used to screen plant extracts for specific biological activities in batch assays. Traditionally, bioactives in the most active extracts were identified through time-consuming bio-assay guided fractionation until single active compounds could be isolated. Not only are isolation procedures often tedious, but they could also lead to artifact formation. On-line coupling of BCD assays to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is gaining ground as a high resolution screening technique to overcome problems associated with pre-isolation by measuring the effects of compounds post-column directly after separation. To date, several on-line HPLC-BCD assays, applied to whole plant extracts and mixtures, have been published. In this review the focus will fall on enzyme-based, receptor-based and antioxidant assays.

An appropriate approach of high throughput multi-screening was verified for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella spp. in strawberries, lettuce and basil. Sample replicates were inoculated with STEC O157 or O26 and Salmonella Thompson (ca. 10-70, 100-700 and 1000-7000 cfu/25 g) and analysed after 1 and 5 days of storage (strawberries and lettuce at 7 °C and basil at 10 °C). After 18-24 h of enrichment at 37 °C in buffered peptone water, detection was performed using the GeneDisc multiplex PCR (stx1, stx2, eae and iroB genes) and selective culture media for isolation of STEC (with immunomagnetic separation (IMS)) and Salmonella spp. in parallel. After 1 day, the pathogenic strains were recovered from all samples for all inoculum levels, whereas reduced detection rates of STEC O157 and S. Thompson were observed after 5 days of storage in case of strawberries, in particular for the lowest inoculums level, suggesting superior survival potential for STEC O26. Overa...

Context: The blowfly Chrysomya putoria is widely distributed throughout the Neotropical region and, besides transmitting pathogens; they could cause secondary myiasis. Botanical insecticides provide an alternative to synthetic pesticides because the excessive use of synthetic insecticides resulted in a progressive resistance of the pests to these chemicals, diminishing their effectiveness and generating consequences with negative environmental impact. The essential oil extracted from Ocimum sanctum (basil) has showed insecticidal activity against some insects but has no reported studies on the activity of this plant against flies.

Aims: To evaluate the insecticidal effects of Ocimum sanctum var. cubensis Gomes essential oil on the post embryonic development of Chrysomya putoria.

Methods: The colonies of Chrysomya putoria were established and maintained at the Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The basil essential oil was tested in six concentrations (4.13, 8.25, 20.63, 41.25, 61.87 and 80,25 mg/mL). Mortality and changes in life cycle were recorded daily.

Results: β-caryophyllene, β-selinene and eugenol, were the main constituents of the basil essential oil. The experiments demonstrated that in all concentrations tested, this essential oil shortening the duration of all post embryonic stages having a direct impact in the viability of this fly estimating the LC50 in 7.47 mg/mL of concentration. In addition, the essential oil caused morphological alterations in abdomen, wings and ptilinum at lower concentrations.

Conclusions: This essential oil emerge as a good option for the control of the disease vector blowfly Chrysomya putoria.

In Ethiopia, Natural food spices such as sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), Black Cumen (Nigella sativa) and Tenadam (Ruta chalepensis) are the most commonly used spices to improve its colour, aroma, palatability and acceptability of food. They contain a significant quantity of trace metals. These trace metals in spices and medicinal plants play an important role in living cells while other metals are harmful. Knowing the composition of trace metals in foods is important because of their essential or toxic in human health. This study focuses on the determination of heavy trace metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, and Pb) from Ocimum basilicum L., Nigella sativa, and Ruta chalepensis cultivated in Ethiopia North Gondar administrative Zone particularly, Koladiba, Takusa, and Chuahit were determined using FAAS. The result showed that the concentration of Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, and Pb in three cultivars of Nigella sativa was 9.07 ± 0.055, 2.83 ± 0.021, 5.55 ± 0.019, 0.80 ± 0.087 and 5.23 ± 0.082 mg/100 g, respectively. In Ocimum basilicum L. was 8.61 ± 0.067, 3.58 ±0.021, 5.55 ± 0.019, 0.606 ± 0.0015, and 3.33 ± 0.0082 mg/100, respectively. Similarly in Ruta chalepensis were 9.38 ± 0.0705, 9.38 ± 0.021, 6.66 ± 0.033, 0.707 ± 0.0017 and 2.85 ± 0.0014 mg/100, respectively. In this work, Nigella sativa, Ocimum basilicun, and Ruta chalepensis are good sources of Zn, Cu, Fe, and the number of toxic metals Cd and Pb are below the permissible limit as compared to the value reported in WHO. Therefore, a non-carcinogenic health risk to the consumer associated with the consumption of this spices preparation marketed in study areas.

In this study, the possibility of using a biostimulant based on liquid earthworm humus to improve the growth and quality of basil plants (Ocimum basilicum L.) was evaluated. The 3 experimental groups in cultivation were: i) group without biostimulant (CTRL), irrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized; ii) group with 1% liquid earthworm humus (ON1) and fertilised substrate; iii) group with 2% liquid earthworm humus (ON2) and fertilised substrate. The test showed a significant increase in agronomic parameters and in the percentage increase in the main constituents of basil plants treated with liquid earthworm humus. The biostimulant derived from earthworm humus combines nutritional and microbial characteristics that make it a versatile product. The varied microbial component present within the biostimulant product is very important, as it can improve both the characteristics of the soil once used and determine greater control against pathogenic microorganisms in the treated areas near the plants.

Nowadays, the tendency in pharmaceutical and food industries is to replace synthetic antioxidants with the natural ones. For this reason, there is a growing interest in analyzing natural, healthy and non-toxic additives as potential antioxidants. Some plants, which contain high levels of phenolic compounds, present an increasing interest for medicine due to their ability to scavenge free radicals, along with other pharmacological activities, such as antibacterial activity, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect, to mention only a few. The aim of this review is to explore the therapeutic potential of Ocimum basilicum and Trifolium pratense in relation with their phytochemical profile and to highlight the pharmacological activity of aqueous or ethanol extracts. Special attention was devoted to the dermal pathology and wound healing effects, in the context of multiple skin conditions such as acne, eczema boils, psoriasis and rashes. Additionally, both extracts (Trifolium sp. and Oc...

Myocardial infarction (MI∥ was produced in rats with 85, 200 and 300 mg/kg of isoproterenol (ISO) administered subcutaneously (sc) twice at an interval of 24 h. Shift in antioxidant parameters, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) together with morphological and histopathological changes were investigated. Two hundred mg/kg ISO dose was selected for the present study as this dose offered significant alteration in biochemical parameters along with moderate necrosis in heart. Effect of pre‐ and co‐treatment of hydroalcoholic extract of Ocimum sanctum (Os) at different doses (25, 50, 75, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated against ISO (200 mg/kg) induced myocardial infarction in rats. Modulation of various biochemical parameters and membrane integrity was studied. Os at the dose of 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg reduced significantly glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and LDH levels. It also inhibited the lipid peroxidation as observed by the reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. In the present study Os at the dose of 50 mg/kg was found to demonstrate maximum cardioprotective effect. Above results were further confirmed by histopathological findings. Thus from the present study it is concluded that Os may be of therapeutic and prophylactic value in the treatment of MI.

Our study investigated the effects of Ocimum basilicum L. tincture (1:10) in acute inflammation induced with turpentine oil (i.m. 0.6 ml/100 g b.w.) in Wistar male rats. Material and methods: The results were compared with those from a positive control group with experimental inflammation and a group treated with diclofenac (30 mg/100 g b.w.). The effects were assessed by measuring total leukocyte count and differential leukocyte count expressed as a percentage, a test of in vitro phagocytosis, and the evaluation of nitric oxide synthesis by measuring the metabolites, nitrites and nitrates, and the co-product citrulline. Results: Ocimum basilicum tincture significantly reduced the total leukocyte count, monocyte percentage, activation of circulating phagocytes, but had a slight inhibitory effect on NO synthesis. Compared to diclofenac, Ocimum basilicum tincture had a smaller inhibitory effect on all tested parameters. Conclusion: the tested Ocimum basilicum tincture has impor-tant a...