hairy basil
Ocimum americanum · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (419 studies) · ★★★★★
Hairy basil, scientifically known as Ocimum americanum, is a versatile medicinal herb native to tropical regions. Characterized by its distinctive fuzzy leaves and aromatic scent, this plant is widely utilized in traditional medicine to treat respiratory ailments, digestive issues, and inflammation, offering significant therapeutic potential in holistic healing practices.
Names
Common Names
- American basil
- hoary basil
- Lime Basil
Regional and Traditional Names
German:
- Amerikanisches Basilikum
- Zitronen-Basilikum
- Amerikanisches Basilikum
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Ocimum americanumSynonyms
- Ocimum thymoides
- Ocimum stamineum
- Ocimum canum
- Ocimum canum var. integrifolium
- Becium obovatum var. glabrior
- Ocimum fruticulosum
- Ocimum fluminense
- Ocimum dichotomum
- Ocimum dinteri
- Ocimum brachiatum
- Ocimum serpyllifolium var. glabrius
- Ocimum incanescens
- Ocimum hispidulum
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Lamiales, it is further classified under the family Lamiaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation falls under the genus Ocimum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Lamiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Ocimum | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In the Macaronesia region, it can be found located in Cape Verde. Its presence extends significantly into West Tropical Africa, where it inhabits various nations. Specifically, it is documented in countries such as Benin, Burkina, and Gambia. Furthermore, the species is also widely distributed within Ghana.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Ocimum americanum, is a versatile medicinal herb characterized by its distinct morphological features. The stem is typically square in cross-section and can become woody at the base as the plant matures. Its most prominent feature is the leaf, which grows in opposite pairs along the branches; these lush green leaves are highly aromatic and contain the essential oils used for therapeutic purposes. During its blooming stage, the plant produces small, delicate structures known as the flower, which are arranged in terminal racemes. Finally, although less frequently utilized in traditional preparations than the foliage, the root system provides the necessary stability and nutrient absorption to support the plant's vigorous growth.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Natural product research (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| stem | Natural product research (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower | Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Ocimum americanum has 65 reported phytochemicals identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, camphor, 1,8-Cineole, CHLOROFORM, Caryophyllene.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| camphor | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| 1,8-Cineole | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CHLOROFORM | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Caryophyllene | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Citral | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ETHYL ACETATE | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Glycosides | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Linalool | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methyl cinnamate | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Flavonoids
- TheScientificWorldJournal
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
camphor
- Dr. Duke
- Pharmaceutisch weekblad. Scientific edition
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies
1,8-Cineole
- Dr. Duke
- Parasite (Paris, France)
CHLOROFORM
- Parasitology research
- Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
Caryophyllene
- Dr. Duke
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies
Citral
- Dr. Duke
- Pharmaceutisch weekblad. Scientific edition
ETHYL ACETATE
- Parasitology research
- Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
Glycosides
- TheScientificWorldJournal
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
Linalool
- Journal of food science
- Pharmaceutisch weekblad. Scientific edition
Methyl cinnamate
- Dr. Duke
- Pharmaceutisch weekblad. Scientific edition
Activities
Ocimum americanum has 275 reported activities identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Analgesic, Antifeedant, Antioxidant, Diuretic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifeedant | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Chronotropic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Inotropic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ACE-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acaricide | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Ocimum americanum has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antioxidant, chikungunya virus, inflammation, malaria, oxidative stress.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| antioxidant | BMC complementary medicine and therapies (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chikungunya virus | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative stress | Journal of evidence-based integrative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| essential oils | Journal of food science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Essential oils | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Essential oils from the leaves | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methanol extracts | Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| OC-12 extract | Scientific reports (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ocimum canum oil | Journal of food science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| acetone leaf extracts | Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extract | TheScientificWorldJournal (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform leaf extracts | Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethanol | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |