Holy basil

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Holy basil
• Holy Basil
• brush-leaf-tea
• holy basil
• sacred basil
• Krishna Tulsi

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Plectranthus monachorum
• Moschosma tenuiflorum
• Geniosporum tenuiflorum
• Ocimum sanctum var. hirsutum
• Ocimum subserratum
• Lumnitzera tenuiflora
• Ocimum sanctum
• Ocimum sanctum var. cubensis
• Ocimum monachorum
• Ocimum hirsutum
• Ocimum inodorum
• Ocimum tenuiflorum f. villicaulis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Ocimum tenuiflorum, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Ocimum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several continents. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found in Gabon. Its presence extends to East Tropical Africa, specifically within the borders of Kenya. In the southern regions of the continent, the species is distributed through Malawi and Zambia. Finally, its range reaches Asia, where it is located in South-Central China.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ocimum tenuiflorum is characterized by its ability to thrive across a diverse altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1500 m AMSL. It typically colonizes tropical and subtropical environments, favoring regions with warm temperatures and high humidity, though it demonstrates significant adaptability to various soil types ranging from sandy to loamy. The plant is often found in disturbed sites, forest edges, and open grasslands where it can access ample sunlight, which is essential for its physiological development and the synthesis of its bioactive compounds. Its distribution is heavily influenced by seasonal monsoon patterns, as it requires adequate moisture during its growth phases but can withstand periods of moderate heat.

Elevational range max:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Ocimum tenuiflorum is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural life form, it exhibits characteristics of both a therophyte and a chamaephyte. As a therophyte, it often completes its reproductive cycle through seed production, while its growth habit as a chamaephyte indicates that its perennating buds are located close to the soil surface, enabling it to withstand varying environmental conditions and regenerate effectively.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ocimum tenuiflorum is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. This self-supporting plant typically reaches a mean height of 1 m, with a maximum height also reaching approximately 1 m. It functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor as an epiphyte, maintaining a terrestrial lifestyle. As a self-supporting species, it does not exhibit climbing behaviors such as lianas or vines.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ocimum tenuiflorum is characterized by specific morphological dimensions and metabolic processes that define its growth patterns. The plant exhibits distinct leaf variability, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 6 cm. Concurrently, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 2.5 cm, reflecting the adaptive structural complexity of its foliage. In terms of its nutrient acquisition and symbiotic capabilities, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized physiological mechanisms to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms through symbiotic bacteria.

Leaf length max:

6 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ocimum tenuiflorum is characterized by the production of small, delicate flowers that typically exhibit a pink coloration. These flowers vary in size, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 0.2 cm to a maximum of 0.45 cm. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit classified as a nut, which is characterized by being indehiscent, meaning it does not spontaneously split open at maturity to release its contents. These fruits are quite small, measuring between 0.08 cm and 0.12 cm in length. Contained within the fruit are the seeds, which possess a mean mass of approximately 0.000673333 g, with individual seed masses ranging from a minimum of 0.00022 g to a maximum of 0.0009 g.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Flower colour :

pink

Flower length max:

0.45 cm

Flower length min:

0.2 cm

Fruit length max:

0.12 cm

Fruit length min:

0.08 cm

Fruit type :

nut

Seed mass max:

9e-04 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000673333 g

Seed mass min:

0.00022 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Ocimum tenuiflorum has 6 reported plant parts identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, stem, seed, flower.

Leaf

1. Cureus
2. Radiation research
3. Research in veterinary science
4. Pharmacognosy magazine
5. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine

Root

1. Parasitology research
2. Pharmacognosy magazine
3. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
4. Plant & cell physiology
5. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Stem

1. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
2. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
3. Plant & cell physiology
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Seed

1. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Flower

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Fruit

1. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine

Chemicals

Ocimum tenuiflorum has 213 reported phytochemicals identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include eugenol, Flavonoids, Ursolic acid, apigenin, rosmarinic acid.

eugenol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Physiologia plantarum
3. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
4. AMB Express
5. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Data in brief
2. Metabolites
3. Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology
4. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
5. BMC research notes

Ursolic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural medicines
3. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
4. Cell biochemistry and biophysics
5. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

apigenin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. Journal of natural products
4. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
5. International journal of biological macromolecules

rosmarinic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. Biotechnology and applied biochemistry
4. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP
5. Inflammation & allergy drug targets

Tannins

1. Data in brief
2. Research in veterinary science
3. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
4. Journal of food science
5. Pharmaceutical biology

luteolin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. Cell biochemistry and biophysics
4. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
5. TheScientificWorldJournal

Saponins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Data in brief
3. Pharmacognosy magazine
4. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
5. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Terpenoids

1. Data in brief
2. Protoplasma
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Pharmaceutical biology

OLEANOLIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural medicines
3. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
4. TheScientificWorldJournal

Activities

Ocimum tenuiflorum has 532 reported activities identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Natural product research
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
4. Protoplasma
5. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. IET nanobiotechnology
3. Research in veterinary science
4. Protoplasma
5. Bioinformation

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)
3. RSC advances
4. Natural product research
5. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. Pharmacognosy magazine
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
5. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition

Antimicrobial

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. BioMed research international
3. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
4. Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFP
5. Cureus

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
4. Cureus
5. Molecular biotechnology

Antifungal

1. Bioinformation
2. IET nanobiotechnology
3. Natural product communications
4. Scientific reports
5. TheScientificWorldJournal

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecular and cellular biochemistry
3. Natural product research
4. Archives of physiology and biochemistry
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. World journal of gastroenterology
4. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
5. Drug design, development and therapy

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Data in brief
3. Natural product research
4. Life (Basel, Switzerland)
5. TheScientificWorldJournal

Medicinal Uses

Ocimum tenuiflorum has 40 reported medicinal uses identified across 49 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 infection, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, cancer.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations