CONSTITUENTS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES SOME OF THE SELECTED Ocimum SPECIES: A REVIEW

Prof. Abdolhossein Rustaiyan* and Zahra Sadat Aghakhah Razlighi MSc.

ABSTRACT

The genus Ocimum (family Lamiaceae), collectively called basil, consists of about 160 species, and is spread over the tropical, subtropical and warmer parts of the temperate regions of both hemispheres raging from sea level to 1800 ft altitude. Basil has traditionally been used to treat head colds and as a cure for warts and worms, as well as an appetite stimulant, carminative, and diuretic. In addition, it has been used as a mouthwash and astringent to cure inflammations of the mouth and throat. Alcoholic extracts of basil have been used in creams to treat slowly healing wounds. Basil is more widely used as a medicinal herb in the Far East, especially in China and India. It was first described in a major Chinese herbal around A.D 1060 and has since been used in China for spasms of the stomach and kidney ailments, among other applications. It is especially recommended for use before and after parturition to promote blood circulation. The whole herb is also used to treat snakebite and insect bites.

Keywords: Ocimum, Lamiaceae, Secondary metabolites, Essential Oils, biological activities, chemical constituents.