Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum): much more than a condiment

Abstract

Ocimum basilicum belongs to the family Lamiaceae and can be found in tropical Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. It is widely cultivated commercially as a condiment or for the production of essential oil. In this review, this plant is accredited with important effects on health, in addition to being a condiment. In folk medicine it is used to treat vomiting, intestinal colic and diarrhea, menstrual pains and to improve kidney function. Some studies have demonstrated that it can be used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and also that it has antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator properties as well as hepatoprotective effects. In view of its broad range of effects, further studies should be conducted to ascertain the possible use of this plant in clinical trials, not only for prevention but also as an adjuvant in the treatment of different diseases.

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TANG / www.e-tang.org 2012 / Volume 2 / Issue 1 / e3
1
Review
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum): much more than a condiment
Sandra Maria Barbalho1,2,*, Flávia Maria Vasques Farinazzi Machado2, Jaqueline dos Santos Rodrigues2, Tiago
Henrique Pereira da Silva2, Ricardo de Alvares Goulart3
1Marilia School of Medicine (UNIMAR), Marilia, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 2Faculty of Technology and Foods of Marilia – (FATEC),
Marilia, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3Faculty of Medicine of Marilia (FAMEMA), Marilia, Sao Paulo, Brazil
ABSTRACT
Ocimum basilicum belongs to the family Lamiaceae and can be found in tropical Asia, Africa, Central
America and South America. It is widely cultivated commercially as a condiment or for the production of
essential oil. In this review, this plant is accredited with important effects on health, in addition to being a
condiment. In folk medicine it is used to treat vomiting, intestinal colic and diarrhea, menstrual pains and
to improve kidney function. Some studies have demonstrated that it can be used for the treatment of
hyperlipidemia and also that it has antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator
properties as well as hepatoprotective effects. In view of its broad range of effects, further studies should
be conducted to ascertain the possible use of this plant in clinical trials, not only for prevention but also as
an adjuvant in the treatment of different diseases.
Keywords Ocimum basilicum, condiment, traditional medicine, hyperlipidemia, antioxidant, anti-
inflammatory
INTRODUCTION
The use of plants can provide an alternative approach for the
prevention or treatment of many diseases. Historically, Ocimum
basilicum (basil) has been used as a condiment and as a folk
remedy for the treatment of diseases. This plant, which
comprises 50 to 150 species, belongs to the family Lamiaceae
and can be found in tropical Asia, Africa, Central America and
South America. Among the species of the genus Ocimum,
basilicum L. is the one most widely cultivated commercially for
its green and aromatic leaves, which are used dry or fresh as a
condiment or for the production of essential oil. Because
society today prefers natural food additives, naturally derived
antimicrobial agents such as basil are gaining increasing
importance in antimicrobial packaging (Sappakul et al., 2003;
Marotti et al., 1996; Loughrin and Kasperbauer, 2001; Hossain
et al., 2010; Venancio et al., 2011).
Basil is traditionally used worldwide as a medicinal herb to
treat numerous ailments. The leaves and flowering parts are
traditionally used as antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, and
digestive remedies, and to treat abdominal cramps, gastro-
enteritis, fever, poor digestion, nausea, migraines, insomnia,
depression and dysentery. They have been applied externally to
treat acne, insect stings, snake bites, and skin infections
(Loughrin and Kasperbauer, 2001; Kaya et al., 2008; Venancio
et al., 2011; Bora et al., 2011).
The high cost of pharmaceutical medications has led to an
increasing search for alternative medicines to treat numerous
diseases, which are usually easier to find and less expensive. In
view of this trend, there is a need for studies confirming the
effects of medicinal plants and phytotherapeutic products. The
purpose of this review is to show that many studies have
demonstrated that O. basilicum has various beneficial effects
on health and that it deserves to be researched more extensively
in clinical trials for use in prevention and treatment, or as an
adjuvant in the treatment of numerous disorders.
ESSENTIAL OILS OF OCIMUM SPECIES
The essential oil of the Ocimum species can be extracted from
the leaves and inflorescence tips by hydrodistillation and major
constituents are linalool (40.5 to 48.2%) and methyl chavicol
(estragole) (28.9 to 31.6%) (Fleisher, 1981; Padalia and Verma,
2011).
Vieira and Simon (2000) made a chemical analysis of
Ocimum species used in Brazilian folk medicine. The species O.
gratissimum showed a high percentage of eugenol (40 - 66%)
and thymol (31%), while O. campechianum showed a high
content of 1.8-cineole (62%) and β-caryophyllene (78.7%). O.
americanum presented a high methyl content (> 90%) and the
main constituent of O. selloi was found to be methyl chavicol
(approximately 40%). Ocimum basilicum was found to contain
1.8-cineole (22%), linalool (49.7%), methyl chavicol (47%)
and methyl cinnamate (65.5%).
Zhang et al. (2009) identified linalool (about 30.0%) and
(Z)-cinnamic acid methyl ester as the main components,
followed by cyclohexene, alpha-cadinol, 2,4-diisopropenyl-1-
methyl-1-vinylcyclohexane, 3,5-pyridine-dicarboxylic acid,
2,6-dimethyl-diethyl ester, beta-cubebene, guaia-1(10),11-diene,
cadinene, (E)-cinnamic acid methyl ester and beta-guaiene in
essential oil of the aerial parts of O. basilicum L.var. pilosum.
Padalia and Verma (2011) studied four Ocimum species
from India and found that the essential oil from O. basilicum
has chavicol (68%) and linalool (21.9 to 25.6%) as its major
compounds. The major compound found in O. gratissimum and
O. sanctum was eugenol (77.2%), while those found in O.
kilimandscharicum were monoterpenoids (95.8%) such as
camphor (64.9%), limonene (8.7%), camphene (6.4%) and (E)-
β-ocimene (3.0%).
*Correspondence: Sandra Maria Barbalho
E-mail: smbarbalho@terra.com.br
Received July 25, 2011; Accepted February 13, 2012; Published
February 29, 2012
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5667/tang.2011.0023
© 2012 by Association of Humanitas Medicine

Sweet basil, more than a condiment
TANG / www.e-tang.org 2012 / Volume 2 / Issue 1 / e3
Verma et al. (2011) analyzed the composition of the
essential oil from two cultivars of O. basilicum and found that
its quality differed significantly according to the cultivar’s
cropping season, plant ontogeny and plant part. The main
component in one of the cultivars was methyl chavicol (84.3 -
94.3%), while the other contained methyl chavicol (62.5 -
77.6%) and linalool (14.4 - 34.1%) as the main components.
The extract of O. basilicum also contains reduced sugars,
cardiac glycosides, tannins, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids
and steroids (Dorman and Hiltunen, 2010; El-Beshbishy and
Bahashwan, 2012).
The commercial value of basil is influenced by its aroma.
In addition, the composition of this plant’s essential oil is
related to the position of the leaves on the stem. Because this
position is tied to the plant’s development, the plant’s
physiological age may be a factor that interferes in the
composition of its oil (Fischer et al., 2011).
The chemical compounds isolated from Ocimum can have
different effects on the organism, which explains the use of this
plant for medicinal purposes. Table 1 summarizes the main
compounds and their pharmacological effects.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF OCIMUM
SPECIES
As mentioned earlier, in many circumstances, basil is used in
folk medicine to treat vomiting, intestinal colic and diarrhea,
menstrual pains and sterility, improve kidney function, and to
relieve the coughing, bronchitis and hoarseness that are typical
of colds and flu (Bora et al., 2011). The literature contains
many studies on O. basilicum, in addition to its uses in folk
medicine. Table 2 summarizes the major known activities of
Ocimum basilicum.
Prevention of heart diseases
Vascular diseases, which rank among the main causes of death
worldwide today due to dietary changes and sedentary
lifestyles, are linked to numerous risk factors such as
dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, increased oxidative
processes (free radicals) and inflammatory processes (Sliem et
al., 2012; Barbalho et al., 2011 a).
Dyslipidemias are considered determining factors for the
development of cardiovascular diseases. Elevated
concentrations of plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), decreased high-
density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels, insulin
resistance and hypertension lead to a group of risk factors
called the metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk for
vascular diseases (Savita, Sandeep, 2011).
The use of O. basilicum reduces the formation of foam
cells in the mechanism of formation of atherosclerotic plaque
because it lowers LDL-c levels by reducing its synthesis, in
addition to modulating the activity of scavenger-type receptors.
In Morocco, O. basilicum is the plant most commonly used to
treat hyperlipidemia (Bravo et al., 2008). Amrani and co-
workers (2006) studied this plant in animals with induced
hypercholesterolemia and observed important hypolipidemic
effects. Basil also exerts positive effects as a vasodilator and
reduces plaque aggregation. Thus, it interferes positively in the
mechanisms involved in the development of atherosclerotic
disease (Benedec et al., 2007; Amrani et al., 2009).
Umar et al. (2011) investigated the effects of O. basilicum
in renovascular hypertensive rats by evaluating blood pressure,
heart weight/body weight, plasma angiotensin-II and endothelin
after treating the animals with the plant. They observed lower
systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduced cardiac
hypertrophy, and lower angiotensin and endothelin
concentrations.
Bora et al. (2011) showed that this plant can decrease brain
infarct size and lipid peroxidation and suggested that it may be
useful clinically to prevent strokes.
In view of the abovementioned effects, we suggest that
basil may have beneficial effects in the prevention of vascular
damage.
Anti-diabetic effects
Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome associated with disorders in the
metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins caused by the
absolute or relative lack of insulin (ADA, 2010). The problems
resulting from this disease and its complications represent a
heavy burden for Brazil’s Public Health Care System (SUS).
Moreover, the search for medical alternatives to reduce costs
may be crucial for people living below the poverty line. Thus,
the use of medicinal plants represents an alternative that has
been used increasingly in the treatment of diabetes and other
metabolic syndrome risk factors (Mercurio et al., 2011;
Barbalho et al., 2011).
A few studies have shown that other species of Ocimum
Table 1. Some of the compounds in Ocimum species and their pharmacological effects
Compound
Effect reported
Reference
Chavicol
Antioxidant
Mohamad et al., 2011
Linalool
Antioxidant
Karimian et al., 2011
Eugenol
Antioxidant, antiperoxidant
Samarth, 2007; Huang et al., 2011
Thymol
Antioxidant
Karimian et al., 2011; Huang et al., 2011;
Wu et al., 2012
Flavonoids
Antioxidant, radical scavenging activity, anti-inflammatory
Samarth, Samarth, 2009; Oliveira et al.,
2012
Steroids
Antioxidant
Samarth, Samarth, 2009; Oliveira et al.,
2012
Saponins
Cardioprotective effects
He et al., 2011; Wintola, Afolayan, 2011
Tannin
Cancer prevention, treatment of inflamed or ulcerated tissues
Okwu, Emenike, 2006; Ruch et al., 1989
Table 2. Some of the pharmacological effects of O. basilicum
Effect reported
References
Reduction plasma lipids
Bravo et al., 2008; Amrani et al., 2009
Prevention of atherosclerosis
Benedec et al., 2007; Amrani et al., 2009
Antioxidant
Dorman and Hiltunen, 2010; Kaurinovic et al., 2011; El-Beshbishy and Bahashwan, 2012
Anti-inflammatory
Godhwani and Vyas, 1987; Rahimi et al., 2010
Anti-diabetic
El-Beshbishy and Bahashwan, 2012
Antinociceptive
Venâncio et al., 2011

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TANG / www.e-tang.org 2012 / Volume 2 / Issue 1 / e3
have beneficial effects on glycemia (Agrawal, Rai, Singh,
1996). O. basilicum can also be helpful to control diabetes,
possibly because it promotes inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-
amylase activity (El-Beshbishy and Bahashwan, 2012).
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects
O. basilicum also has important antioxidant and anti-
inflammatory effects. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties have numerous beneficial effects on the organism,
for example, as a protector against endothelial lesions and
cancer, preventing the occurrence of diseases that cause the
highest death rates worldwide (Amrani et al., 2006; Benedec et
al., 2007; Nguyen and Niemeyer, 2008; Amrani et al., 2009;
Dorman and Hiltunen, 2010; El-Beshbishy and Bahashwan,
2012; Kaurinovic et al., 2011). The antioxidant properties of
basil can be attributed to rosmarinic acid, one of the esters of
caffeic acid (Tada et al., 1996; Strazzer et al., 2011), since its
anti-inflammatory activity can be ascribed chiefly to the
inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis (Godhwani and Vyas,
1987) by inhibition of the enzymes cyclooxygenase and
lipoxygenase of the arachidonic acid metabolism (Singh et al.,
1996). The betulinic, oleanolic, ursolic, 3-epi-maslinic,
alphitolic and euscaphic acids isolated from O. basilicum
exhibited hepatoprotective effects in rats (Marzouk, 2009).
Ursolic acid has anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiviral,
antioxidant and antitumor properties. Silva et al. (2008)
detected this acid in eight different Ocimum species (O.
americanum L., O. basilicum L, O. basilicum var.
purpurascens Benth., O. basilicum var. minimum L, O.
gratissimum L, O. micranthum Willd, O. selloi Benth., and O.
tenuiflorum L.), and the highest content was found in O.
tenuiflorum.
Rahimi et al. (2010) state that O. basilicum is also helpful
in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and Monga et
al. (2011) observed anti-melanoma effects and radioprotective
activities of different species of Ocimum (O. sanctum, O.
gratissimum, O. basilicum, O. canum, and O.
kilimandscharicum) in mice. They found a significant reduction
in tumor volume and modulatory influence against lethal doses
of gamma irradiation.
Antinociceptive effects
Venâncio et al. (2011) analyzed the chemical composition and
antinociceptive effects of essential oil of O. basilicum L. in
Swiss mice and their results showed diminished pain (by
reducing abdominal contractions). These authors suggest that
the peripheral and central antinociceptive effects may be
associated to inhibition of the biosynthesis of pain mediators
such as prostaglandins and prostacyclins.
Antimicrobial activity
Aromatic plants have been used extensively to prolong the
shelf life of foods. Many studies have demonstrated that they
exhibit significant properties against different microorganisms.
Sanches et al. (2010) showed that methanol extract of O.
basilicum exhibited high antimicrobial activity, damaging the
membrane of V. cholera and causing the death of this
bacterium.
The leaf extract of basil can also exhibit antiplasmodial
activity, which can be attributed to the presence of flavonoids,
alkaloids, phenols, saponins, triterpenoids, glycosides, tannins
and other compounds in the ethanol extract of the plant
(Inbaneson et al., 2012).
The essential oils of many species of Ocimum (including O.
basilicum) exert antibacterial (against Gram-positive and
Gram-negative bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis,
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and
Enterococcus faecalis) and antifungal effects (Epidermophyton
floccosum, Microsporum gypseum, and Sporothrix schenckii
(Rao et al., 2011).
Rattanachaikunsopon and Phumkhachorn (2010) used basil
essential oil against Salmonella in vitro and in food and
concluded that it can be used as an antimicrobial agent to
control S. Enteritidis in food.
So far there is no evidence of a potential clinical use for
essential oils of O. basilicum and many studies are necessary to
determine if they could substitute synthetic antibiotics or be
used in combination with them (Alexopoulos et al., 2011).
CONCLUSION
Like other species of basil, Ocimum basilicum is used by the
pharmaceutical, food and aroma industries due to its chemical
constituents such as essential oils. It is also widely used in folk
medicine and as an edible plant. Several studies have identified
the bioactive compounds of this plant and demonstrated its
beneficial physiological and metabolic properties, indicating
that it may be useful for the prevention or treatment of many
ailments.
The medicines normally employed to regulate glycemia,
dyslipidemia and other metabolic disorders are expensive;
hence, the use of basil may be an alternative low-cost strategy
for their treatments.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicting financial interests.
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