A REVIEW OF THE MEDICINAL VALUES, PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS, MORPHOLOGICAL EFFECTS AND TOXICITY OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LINN

*Innocent O. Imosemi

ABSTRACT

Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known to mankind and herbs have been used by all cultures throughout history, as such it is an integral part of the development of modern civilization. Ocimum gratissimum (OG) Linn belongs to the family Lamiaceae and found mostly in the savannah and coastal areas of tropical countries, including Nigeria, India, Mexico and Brazil. Ocimum gratissimum leaves have attracted considerable attention from researchers because of their extensive medicinal value, culinary use and pharmacological actions. The plant is used by ethnomedical practitioners in the treatment of epilepsy, high fever and diarrhoea, fungal infections, fever, cold and catarrh, while in the Savannah areas, decoctions of the leaves are used to treat mental illness and management of the baby‟s umbilical cord, to keep the wound surfaces sterile. The essential oils from the leaves and flowers of OG have been used in the preparation of teas, infusions and incorporated in a variety of bases as topical antiseptics and for use in the treatment of minor wounds, boils and pimples. The anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, wound healing, antimicrobial, antioxidant, diaphoretic, antipyretic, antiseptic, antitussive and antispasmodic activities of OG have been reported. However, despite of the high medicinal benefits and pharmacological activities of OG, the essential oil from OG is capable of invoking an inflammatory response on persistent administration, hence, the toxic potentials and morphological effects of the plant should not be overlooked. This review consisting of references from literature search of journals, using different search engines and chapters in books aims at highlighting the medicinal values, pharmacological actions, morphological effects and toxicity of Ocimum gratissimum.

Keywords: Herbal medicine, Ocimum gratissimum, toxicity, pharmacological activity, morphological effects.