Therapeutic Potency of Ocimum KilimandscharicumGuerke - A Review

2 Abstract: This review paper involves Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical and Pharmacological survey of Ocimum kilimandscharicum Guerke. a medicinal plant of genus Ocimum having immense therapeutic potential. Ocimum kilimandscharicum Guerke. a perennial evergreen shrub, native of East Africa have been used traditionally in Kenya against measles, abdominal pains, diarrhoea, particularly against mosquitoes (insect repellent), congested chest, cough and cold. In Indian system of medicine (Ayurveda) Ocimum kilimandscharicum(Kapur tulsi) have been used as an antiinflammatory, indigestion, insecticidal, mosquito repellent, aromatic. In this review an attempt has been made to depict the tremendous usefulness of Ocimum kilimandscharicum found in various regions of Asia, Africa, Central and Southern America. Various oxygenated monoterpenes have been reported in hydrodistilled essential oil of Ocimum kilimandscharicumGuerke, which were determined using capillary Gas Chromatography (GC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Specrometry (GC-MS), Gas-Liquid Chromatography (GLC). Camphor has been reported as a chief essential oil component from Ocimum kilimandscharicum Guerke. Other important compounds found to be phenyl propane derivatives or terpenoids, including methyl eugenol, 1, 8-cineole, bornyl acetate, germacrene-D, E-myroxide, germacrene-B, caryophylene oxide andp-cymene, 1,8-cineole, limonene, caryophylene, camphene, 4-terpineol, -terpinol, linalool which have been responsible for various pharmacological activities (insecticidal, mosquito repellent, antimicrobial, antioxidant, wound healing, antimelanoma, radioprotective). In such a way, this review makes us enable to explore more about the Ocimum kilimandscharicum Guerke. a therapeutic effective drug belonging to genus Ocimum.