Ocimum Tenuiflorum As An Antiviral Agent

Abstract

The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medical practitioners for curing various conditions in their day-to-day practice Holy basil or Tulsi is designated as the “Queen of Herbs”, “The mother medicine of nature” and “The irreplaceable one” It is a herb with a wide range of medicinal properties Ocimum tenuiflorum (also known as Ocimum sanctum Linn or Krishna Tulsi) has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda and Siddha practices Different parts of this plant have been traditionally used in the treatment of several ailments The antimicrobial activities of the plant against a wide variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungal and viral pathogens indicate that different extracts of this plant possess versatile anti-infective properties Along with such properties, anti-toxic;antitussive;anti-inflammatory;antimalarial;anti diabetic;immunomodulatory properties, etc have certainly designated the plant as the queen of herbs Oil of Tulsi is a good source of calcium, vitamin C and volatile substances e g eugenol, tannins, flavonoids, ursolic acid, etc It is used in skin diseases and ringworm infections Leaves of the plant are also used in bronchitis, gastric and hepatic disorders A decoction of leaves is recommended for cough, malaise and in colds It is a good mosquito repellent as well Recently, the plant was found beneficial in the treatment of cancer Antiviral activity of the plant has been demonstrated against HSV, HIV, H9N2, NDV, BHV, etc The present review incorporates a few therapeutic activities and focuses on the antiviral activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum