The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medicinal practitioners for curing various diseases in their day to day practice. In traditional system of medicine, different parts (leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds and even whole plant) of Ocimum sanctum Linn. have been recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin disease, arthritis, eye diseases, insect bites and so on. The O. sanctum L. has also been suggested to possess anti-fertility, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifungal, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, analgesic, antispasmodic and adaptogenic actions. Eugenol (1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-allylbenzene), the active constituents present in O. sanctum L. have been found to be largely responsible for the therapeutic potentials. The pharmacological studies reported in the present review confirm the therapeutic value of O. sanctum L. The results of the above studies support the use of this plant for human and animal disease therapy and reinforce the importance of the ethno-botanical approach as a potential source of bioactive substances.

Ocimum sanctum Linn. A reservoir plant for therapeutic applications: An overview.

Effects of seasonal variation on the central nervous system activity of Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil.

Seizures are resistant to treatment with currently available anticonvulsant drugs in about 1 out of 3 patients with epilepsy. Thus, there is a need for new, more effective anticonvulsant drugs for intractable epilepsy. However, nature is a rich source of biological and chemical diversity and a number of plants in the world have been used in traditional medicine remedies, i.e., anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, analgesic, antidepressant. This work constitutes a literature review on medicinal plants showing anticonvulsant properties. The review refers to 16 Brazilian plants and a total 355 species, their families, geographical distribution, the utilized parts, method and references. Some aspects of research on medicinal plants and a brief review of the most common animal models to discover antiepileptic drugs are discussed. For this purpose over 170 references were consulted.

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Plants with anticonvulsant properties: a review

Covering all the research areas regarding Ocimum such as botany, chemistry and pharmacology, this book will be of interest to everybody involved in medicinal and aromatic plant research or related fields.

Basil - The Genus Ocimum

Tulsi, also known as holy basil, is indigenous to the Indian continent and highly revered for its medicinal uses within the Ayurvedic and Siddha medical systems. Many in vitro, animal and human studies attest to tulsi having multiple therapeutic actions including adaptogenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory effects, yet to date there are no systematic reviews of human research on tulsi’s clinical efficacy and safety. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of human studies that reported on a clinical outcome after ingestion of tulsi. We searched for studies published in books, theses, conference proceedings, and electronic databases including Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Embase, Medline, PubMed, Science Direct, and Indian Medical databases. A total of 24 studies were identified that reported therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, immunity, and neurocognition. All studies reported favourable clinical outcomes with no studies reporting any significant adverse events. The reviewed studies reinforce traditional uses and suggest tulsi is an effective treatment for lifestyle-related chronic diseases including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and psychological stress. Further studies are required to explore mechanisms of action, clarify the dosage and dose form, and determine the populations most likely to benefit from tulsi’s therapeutic effects.

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The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Preliminary psychopharmacological evaluation of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract.

"Cinkara", a polyherbal preparation reduced pentobarbitone induced hypnosis in mice, decreased apomorphine induced fighting, aggression and stereotypy and increased amphetamine induced aggregated toxicity in mice. It also increased immobility of rats in forced swimming test, an action which was not blocked by chlor-promazine, and increased ambulation in open arena test. It did not modify electrically induced convulsions or haloperidol catalepsy. It is suggested that the preparation possesses a central nervous system stimulant activity but unlike other CNS stimulants, it lowers aggressive activity in rats.

M.R. Sakina

Papers

Preliminary psychopharmacological evaluation of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract.

A neuropsychopharmacological profile of "Cinkara", a polyherbal preparation.