Abstract
In traditional medicine, Ocimum gratissimum (clove basil) is used in the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, cancer, inflammation, anaemia, diarrhoea, pains, and fungal and bacterial infections. The present study reviewed the phytochemicals, essential oils, and pharmacological activities of O. gratissimum. The bioactive compounds extracted from O. gratissimum include phytochemicals (oleanolic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, epicatechin, sinapic acid, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, luteolin, apigenin, nepetoidin, xanthomicrol, nevadensin, salvigenin, gallic acid, catechin, quercetin, rutin, and kaempfero) and essential oils (camphene, β-caryophyllene, α- and β-pinene, α-humulene, sabinene, β-myrcene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, trans-β-ocimene, linalool, α- and δ-terpineol, eugenol, α-copaene, β-elemene, p-cymene, thymol, and carvacrol). Various in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that O. gratissimum and its bioactive constituents possess pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antidiarrhoeal, and antimicrobial properties. This review demonstrated that O. gratissimum has a strong preventive and therapeutic effect against several diseases. The effectiveness of O. gratissimum to ameliorate various diseases may be attributed to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties as well as its capacity to improve the antioxidant systems. However, despite the widespread pharmacological activities of O. gratissimum, further experiments in human clinical trial studies are needed to establish effective and safe doses for the treatment of various diseases.
Highlights
The use of medicinal plants in traditional and complementary medicine for the treatment, management, or prevention of various diseases is as old as the origin of mankind (Yuan et al, 2016; Ekweogu et al, 2019)
Reports on O. gratissimum revealed that the plant extract may be used as a medicinal resource for people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Priyanka et al, 2018)
Typhimurium Reduced the growth level of S. aureus and E. coli The extract was active against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B. cereus The essential oil was highly active against E. coli, S. marcescens, and K. pneumoniae In vitro activities against E. coli, P. mirabilis, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa Synergistically inhibited E. coli and S. aureus
Summary
The use of medicinal plants in traditional and complementary medicine for the treatment, management, or prevention of various diseases is as old as the origin of mankind (Yuan et al, 2016; Ekweogu et al, 2019). Over the last decade, medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds have attracted the attention of several researchers because of their usefulness in the management and prevention of life-threatening and chronic diseases (Sofowora et al, 2013; WHO, 2019) such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, and arthritis (Bernell and Howard, 2016), as an alternative therapy for the treatment of psychiatric disorders (Venuprasad et al, 2014), and in meeting the health requirements of the elderly (WHO, 2019) These medicinal plants have been employed in the treatment of numerous ailments, and serve as a source of novel drugs for use in traditional or orthodox medicine. This paper provides useful information on the beneficial effects of O. gratissimum and identifies gaps in current knowledge that can encourage further investigation into the effectiveness and commercialization of O. gratissimum in the treatment of various human diseases
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