Does Basil (Tulsi in India) have medicinal properties?
Does this plant have medicinal properties? In India we have the same plant which is called Tulsi. Thanks
Posted
by: Padam Jain
(1 point)
Posted: July 27, 2013
Answers
The scientific name of the plant Tulsi is Ocimum tenuiflorum. The plant Basil used for cooking is Ocimum basilicum. They are closely related, but not the same.
Here are some details from Kew Gardens (leading expert on Plants globally)
http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Ocimu...
"Ocimum tenuiflorum is closely related to culinary basil (Ocimum basilicum), but differs in being a short-lived perennial with smaller flowers. Commonly known as holy basil or tulsi and tulasi in South Asia, it is an important sacred plant in Hinduism and, as with many plant species used in Asia, the religious uses are often linked with the medicinal uses. Historically, holy basil was frequently grown in large vessels in the courtyards of Hindu forts and temples to cleanse the body. One of the plant’s synonyms, Ocimum sanctum, reflects this religious connection."
Here are some publications on the medical benefits that are not behind paywalls:
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/...
http://www.ijpp.com/IJPP%20archives/2...
http://lib-ojs3.lib.sfu.ca:8114/index...
Here are some details from Kew Gardens (leading expert on Plants globally)
http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Ocimu...
"Ocimum tenuiflorum is closely related to culinary basil (Ocimum basilicum), but differs in being a short-lived perennial with smaller flowers. Commonly known as holy basil or tulsi and tulasi in South Asia, it is an important sacred plant in Hinduism and, as with many plant species used in Asia, the religious uses are often linked with the medicinal uses. Historically, holy basil was frequently grown in large vessels in the courtyards of Hindu forts and temples to cleanse the body. One of the plant’s synonyms, Ocimum sanctum, reflects this religious connection."
Here are some publications on the medical benefits that are not behind paywalls:
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/...
http://www.ijpp.com/IJPP%20archives/2...
http://lib-ojs3.lib.sfu.ca:8114/index...
Posted
by: David Hughes
(67 points)
Posted: July 27, 2013
Lindsay McMenemy commented,
I can also try and access some of the journals and summarize some results for those who do not have access - pulling up an entire lawn in the garden this weekend but once that's out of the way :-)
over 10 years ago.
I can also try and access some of the journals and summarize some results for those who do not have access - pulling up an entire lawn in the garden this weekend but once that's out of the way :-)
over 10 years ago.
Agreeing with Marcel that it's outrageous that research funded with taxpayer money is allowed to be published behind paywalls.
It's important to point out that Ocimum tenuiflorum's essential oil (like the essential oils of many herbs) probably shouldn't be ingested unless under the supervision of an experienced herbal practitioner. The oils concentrate many of a plant's most powerful bioactive compounds to the point where they become toxic when swallowed. (Here's a useful fact sheet about herbal essential oils in general. http://bit.ly/11mrJwt) Water or alcohol extracts (teas or tinctures) are probably safer. The herb has been used for many purposes in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.
Here, for example, the very Western and very modern University of Maryland Medical Center suggests an extract of holy basil (Tulsi), as part of a treatment plan for relief of post-traumatic stress disorder. http://bit.ly/19pj5lS Many herbalists prescribe it for stress relief, though they also suggest that people should consider improving their diets, getting more physical exercise, and adopting a contemplative practice as the first lines of defense against stress-related illness.
A search of the scholarly literature turns up numerous papers examining the uses of holy basil in various forms as either an insecticide or a fungicide. Soon we may be recommending it here for use in our organic gardens!
It's important to point out that Ocimum tenuiflorum's essential oil (like the essential oils of many herbs) probably shouldn't be ingested unless under the supervision of an experienced herbal practitioner. The oils concentrate many of a plant's most powerful bioactive compounds to the point where they become toxic when swallowed. (Here's a useful fact sheet about herbal essential oils in general. http://bit.ly/11mrJwt) Water or alcohol extracts (teas or tinctures) are probably safer. The herb has been used for many purposes in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.
Here, for example, the very Western and very modern University of Maryland Medical Center suggests an extract of holy basil (Tulsi), as part of a treatment plan for relief of post-traumatic stress disorder. http://bit.ly/19pj5lS Many herbalists prescribe it for stress relief, though they also suggest that people should consider improving their diets, getting more physical exercise, and adopting a contemplative practice as the first lines of defense against stress-related illness.
A search of the scholarly literature turns up numerous papers examining the uses of holy basil in various forms as either an insecticide or a fungicide. Soon we may be recommending it here for use in our organic gardens!
Posted
by: Peg Boyles
(4 points)
Posted: July 27, 2013
David Hughes commented,
Those of us in universities can make that knowledge available by accessing this pay-per-view knowledge and then reproducing that here. In addition, we can reduce the content and just report on the important facts. Another barrier (in addition to paywalls) is that dense scientific language often prevents people accessing the knowledge. But the type of community here allows knowledge to be found and shared in a way that the questioner can then use. over 10 years ago.
Those of us in universities can make that knowledge available by accessing this pay-per-view knowledge and then reproducing that here. In addition, we can reduce the content and just report on the important facts. Another barrier (in addition to paywalls) is that dense scientific language often prevents people accessing the knowledge. But the type of community here allows knowledge to be found and shared in a way that the questioner can then use. over 10 years ago.
As promised, here is a summary of the findings of the research articles regarding the potential health benefits of basil oil. The papers that are cited on Wikipedia are:
Bozin et al. (2006) Characterization of the volatile composition of essential oils of some lamiaceae spices and the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the entire oils. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 54, 1822–8
Chiang et al. (2005) Antiviral activities of extracts and selected pure constituents of Ocimum basilicum. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 32, 811–6
de Almedia et al. (2007) Antigiardial activity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil. Parasitology Research. 101, 443–52
Manasroi et al. (2006) Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines. Cancer Letters. 235, 114–20.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bozin et al. characterized the volatile profile of basil, oregano and thyme oil and evaluated their antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity and antifungal activity. They found that all 3 of the essential oils were capable of scavenging free radicals and each exhibited a similar level of antioxidant activity. Thyme oil exhibited a dose dependent response (i.e. more thyme oil = more antioxidant activity). In addition, all of the essential oils had antimicrobial effects, with gram positive bacteria seemingly more susceptible than gram negative bacteria. However, many strains of gram negative bacteria, such as E. coli, were also susceptible to basil oil. Finally, all 3 essential oils exhibited anti-fungal properties, particularly that of oregano. They argue that their findings have significance for potential uses of these oils in food production in addition to implications for human health
Chiang et al investigated the antiviral effects of basil extracts by testing the efficacy of several different basil preparations at killing different viruses in the laboratory. They found that some crude extracts from basil, plus the purified components apigenin and ursolic acid exhibited antiviral activity and that basil had some inhibitory effects on certain strains of herpes virus, adenoviruses, hepatitis B as well as strains of coxsackievirus and enterovirus. Their study lends merit to the use of basil for the treatment of some viruses in traditional Chinese medicine.
de Almedia et al. studied the effects of basil essential oil on giardia parasites (a "reemerging" infectious disease which causes gastrintestinal upset and diarrhea amongst other things) and found that basil essential oil killed 80% of giardia parasites within 2 hours in their laboratory experiment and also had a low toxicity on mammalian (mouse) cells. This result provides further evidenc of the antimicrobial properties of basil oil and reveals its potential use in the treatment of human parasites, where the parasite is begining to develop resistance to the traditional treatment - antibiotics. Fascinating!
And finally we come to the paper by Manosroi et al. who measured levels of anticancer activity of no less than 17 essential oils commonly used in Thai medicine. They studied the potential of the oils to inhibit the growth of cells for both human mouth epidermal carcinoma and murine (mouse) leukemia. They found that guava oil was the most inhibitory toward the human carcinoma, while basil oil was most effective against murine leukemia.
Interesting stuff! So, in answer to the original question - YES. Basil oil does indeed have antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Hope this helps. I should finish by saying that this is purely a summary of work conducted in a laboratory and none of these studies tested the effects of consumption of basil oil on human health directly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Out of interest I decided to calculate the cost of accessing these articles if you do not happen to have a subscription ... the price per article ranged from $29.95 to $35.00 and the grand total for all four was $131.45. Appalling. To add insult, you only get access for 24-48 hours.
If I can provide any more information for you, just ask.
Bozin et al. (2006) Characterization of the volatile composition of essential oils of some lamiaceae spices and the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the entire oils. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 54, 1822–8
Chiang et al. (2005) Antiviral activities of extracts and selected pure constituents of Ocimum basilicum. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 32, 811–6
de Almedia et al. (2007) Antigiardial activity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil. Parasitology Research. 101, 443–52
Manasroi et al. (2006) Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines. Cancer Letters. 235, 114–20.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bozin et al. characterized the volatile profile of basil, oregano and thyme oil and evaluated their antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity and antifungal activity. They found that all 3 of the essential oils were capable of scavenging free radicals and each exhibited a similar level of antioxidant activity. Thyme oil exhibited a dose dependent response (i.e. more thyme oil = more antioxidant activity). In addition, all of the essential oils had antimicrobial effects, with gram positive bacteria seemingly more susceptible than gram negative bacteria. However, many strains of gram negative bacteria, such as E. coli, were also susceptible to basil oil. Finally, all 3 essential oils exhibited anti-fungal properties, particularly that of oregano. They argue that their findings have significance for potential uses of these oils in food production in addition to implications for human health
Chiang et al investigated the antiviral effects of basil extracts by testing the efficacy of several different basil preparations at killing different viruses in the laboratory. They found that some crude extracts from basil, plus the purified components apigenin and ursolic acid exhibited antiviral activity and that basil had some inhibitory effects on certain strains of herpes virus, adenoviruses, hepatitis B as well as strains of coxsackievirus and enterovirus. Their study lends merit to the use of basil for the treatment of some viruses in traditional Chinese medicine.
de Almedia et al. studied the effects of basil essential oil on giardia parasites (a "reemerging" infectious disease which causes gastrintestinal upset and diarrhea amongst other things) and found that basil essential oil killed 80% of giardia parasites within 2 hours in their laboratory experiment and also had a low toxicity on mammalian (mouse) cells. This result provides further evidenc of the antimicrobial properties of basil oil and reveals its potential use in the treatment of human parasites, where the parasite is begining to develop resistance to the traditional treatment - antibiotics. Fascinating!
And finally we come to the paper by Manosroi et al. who measured levels of anticancer activity of no less than 17 essential oils commonly used in Thai medicine. They studied the potential of the oils to inhibit the growth of cells for both human mouth epidermal carcinoma and murine (mouse) leukemia. They found that guava oil was the most inhibitory toward the human carcinoma, while basil oil was most effective against murine leukemia.
Interesting stuff! So, in answer to the original question - YES. Basil oil does indeed have antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Hope this helps. I should finish by saying that this is purely a summary of work conducted in a laboratory and none of these studies tested the effects of consumption of basil oil on human health directly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Out of interest I decided to calculate the cost of accessing these articles if you do not happen to have a subscription ... the price per article ranged from $29.95 to $35.00 and the grand total for all four was $131.45. Appalling. To add insult, you only get access for 24-48 hours.
If I can provide any more information for you, just ask.
Posted
by: Lindsay McMenemy
(4 points)
Posted: July 29, 2013
Lindsay McMenemy commented,
Thanks! Really interesting, I genuinely knew nothing about basil oil before today. Glad to make the information freely available. over 10 years ago.
Thanks! Really interesting, I genuinely knew nothing about basil oil before today. Glad to make the information freely available. over 10 years ago.
According to some research, components in basil oil have antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, and also have been shown to inhibit growth of certain cancer cells.
Unfortunately, all research reports cited on the basil Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil are behind paywalls, i.e. unless you are associated with a wealthy institution, you will have to pay to get access to this knowledge. This is shameful especially since that research was funded with public money.
I'm currently traveling, but if nobody here has time to summarize the findings in this articles for you I will do it when I get back.
Unfortunately, all research reports cited on the basil Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil are behind paywalls, i.e. unless you are associated with a wealthy institution, you will have to pay to get access to this knowledge. This is shameful especially since that research was funded with public money.
I'm currently traveling, but if nobody here has time to summarize the findings in this articles for you I will do it when I get back.
Posted
by: deactivated
(25 points)
Posted: July 27, 2013
Thanks. More later
pc over 10 years ago.
I updated my answer with two publications not behind paywalls, after Marcel's answer. We can get more. What information are you after? over 10 years ago.