Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological study of Ocimum americanum L.: A review

Abstract

BackgroundOcimum americanum L., commonly known as Hoary basil, is a wild aromatic shrub traditionally used to treat different ailments. Its leaves, flowers and aerial parts have been widely studied to evaluate its medicinal potential such as lowering blood pressure, treatment of microbial infections, malaria, cold, liver and eye problems. PurposeThis study aims to provide an in-depth review of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of O. americanum, to evaluate its benefits, challenges and potential future prospects. MethodsAll the information about O. americanum was collected from various platforms, including google scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, plants of the world online and Research4Life. The acceptance criteria of the collected information based on the PICOS model. The GRADE approach was used to analyze and evaluate the quality of the collected information. ResultsThis study showed that O. americanum has tremendous therapeutic potential to be integrated into mainstream medical practice to manage various medical conditions. The inconsistence of the phytoconstituents among the plant parts resulted in a significant variation of pharmacological activities. Plant originality, genetic variability and extraction techniques are among the factors contributing to the variation of phytoconstituents that are responsible for pharmacological activities. ConclusionThis study revealed that O. americanum is a potential medicinal plant for mitigating various medical conditions. However, future study should continue to focus on the bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action. Additionally, the utilization of the O. americanum for the development of drugs as well as quality evaluation in clinical settings are highly recommended.