Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum

Common names: St. Josephwort

Sanskrit name: Tulsi

Family: Labiatae

Plant part used: Leaves, Seeds and Root

Color: Brown powder

Odor: Characteristic

Taste: Astringent taste

Storage: 25kg Fiber drums

Shelf life: 2 years

General Description: The plant, is a shrub reaching a height of 0.5 to 1.5 m. The leaves are 2-4 cms in length. There are several varieties of the plant. However, commonly used one is with dark leaves. The inflorescence is a long spike with tiny purple flowers.

Traditional uses: Traditionally Ocimum sanctum is used in malarial fevers, gastric disorders and in hepatic infections. Ocimum sanctum leaves is also used in bronchitis, ringworm and other cutaneous diseases and earache. The leaves are used as a nerve tonic and to sharpen memory. Ocimum sanctum leaves are abundant in tannins like gallic acid, chlorogenic acid etc and also contain alkaloids, glycosides, and saponins along with the volatile oil.

Phytochemistry: The leaves contain an essential oil which has been studied with gas chromatography. The oil contains eugenol, eugenal, carvacrol, methyl-chavicol, limatrol and caryophylline.

The seeds contain an oil composed of fatty acids and sitosterol. The mucilage is compared of sugars - xylose and polysaccharides.

Pharmacology: Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil has been shown against M. tuberculosis and Staph aureus in vitro and other bacteria and fungi. Eugenol and methyleugenol showed a positive activity. Adaptogenic (antistress) activity has been found in mice and rats. The plant increased the physical endurance and prevented stress-induced ulcers. In general pharmacology the aqueous extract showed hypotensive activity and inhibited the smooth muscle contraction induced by acetylcholine, carbachol and histamine. It also potentiated the hexobarbitone sleeping time. Protective action against histamine-induced bronchospasm has been shown in animals.

A tea prepared with the leaves of Tulsi is commonly used in cough,cold,mild indigestion, diminished appetite and malaise.The solid extract of Tulsi, in a dose of 500 mg x 3 for one week, significantly relieved the breathlessness in 20 patients with tropical eosinophilia. There was however no reduction in the eosinophil count in peripheral blood. It is commonly used with black pepper in bronchial asthma. An oil extracted from Tulsi is used as drops in ear infections. Fungal and bacterial infections of skin are treated with Tulsi juice. The seeds are used as a general tonic.

Main Actions: Anti bacterial, antibacterial fungal, protective against histamin induced Bronchospasm.

Main Uses: Common cold, cough, bronchspasm, bronchitis, general stress syndrome, skin infections, indigestion, nausea, sinus infection, tuberculosis, ringworm, ear infections.

Specification: Saponins 10%