A REVIEW ON OCIMUM SPECIES: OCIMUM AMERICANUM L., OCIMUM BASILICUM L., OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM L. AND OCIMUM TENUIFLORUM L

Ocimum species (O.americanum, O.basilicum, O.gratissimum, and O.tenuiflorum) belongs to family Lamiaceae.It is also known as Tulsi.It is currently used as a traditional medicinal plant in India, Africa and other countries in the world.It is used in Ayurveda and in traditional Chinese medicine for treating different diseases and disorders like digestive system disorders such as stomach ache and diarrhea, kidney complaints, and infections, etc.Many researchers have investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of various Ocimum species and reported various activities like anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-hemolytic and also different phytoconstituents like essential oil, saponins, phenols, phlobatannins, and anthraquinones etc. Exploration of the chemical constituents of the plants and pharmacological activities may provide us the basis for developing new life-saving drugs hence this review may help the traditional healers, practitioners, researchers and students who were involved in the field of ethno pharmacology.