Basil Plant
Botanical Description & Habitat
Ocimum basilicum, O. sanctum
Family
Labiatae
Common Names
St. Josephwort
Holy basil
Habitat
Wild in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, but cultivated almost everywhere else.
Medicinal Parts
The herb
Historical Properties & Uses
Basil is one of our most common spices, whose medicinal properties can be experienced on a continual basis by including liberal amounts in our food, or by ingesting it combined with other herbs in capsule form.
Basil is said to have antispasmodic, anticancer, appetizer, expectorant, carminative, antiemetic, galactagogue, anthelmintic antiseptic, analgesic, and stomachic, properties.
It is commonly used for stomach cramps, gastritis, vomiting, intestinal catarrh, constipation and enteritis, and a whole variety of other purposes that defy the imagination. Maybe that is why basil is considered a holy plant in India.
This herb has not achieved approval status by the German Commission E. Either there was insufficient evidence in favor, or a contraindication.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Method of Action
The Pharmacology of Basil
Basil is usually included in routine screening tests for antimicrobial, antibacterial, antispasmodic and anti-cancer actions, in most of which it shows some positive action, probably due to the presence of a strongly aromatic essential oil.
The main components of basil oil are estragol, with linalol, lineol and camphor. Tannic acid is also present. The concentration of any of these components can be increased or decreased with genetic and horticultural manipulation. The oil, in its basic configuration, would account for antispasmodic, digestive, tonic, carminative, and galactogenic activity. It is doubtful if all actions attributed to basil are valid.
Basil has been shown to have reliable hypoglycemic activity.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Possible Interactions
The antacid nature of this herb may decrease or delay the absorption of nalidixic acid and the sulfonamides.
Due to the spasmolytic nature of basil plant it may interact in unknown ways with CNS depressants or stimulants.
Mineral oil, by sequestering this herb, may reduce its anthelmintic effect. The same may be true, to a lesser extent, of antacids.
Basil Plant's analgesic effects may be additive with other analgesics and anesthetics. It may be inhibited by barbiturates even though CNS depressant effects may occur.
The analgesic property of this herb may be reversed or eliminated by p-chlorophenylalanine, cyproheptadine HCl, and phenobarbital.
The CNS depressant tendency of this analgesic may be potentiated by chlorprothixene HCl, haloperidol, and tranquilizers.
Comments
There is evidence combining bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents will lower the effectiveness of the '-static' variety. How this finding applies to herbal antibiotics is not known.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Basil is nontoxic in normal therapeutic dosages. It contains estragole, which has shown some carcinogenic activity (of course, whole plant material, or at least whole oil, has anti-cancer activity)
The German Commission E also notes the possibility of a mutagenic effect.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Preparation & Administration
Steep 1 tsp dried herb in 1/2 cup water. Take 1 to 1-1/2 cups daily, a mouthful at a time. Sweeten with honey or stevia if taken for cough.
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
Bever, B.O. & Zahnd, G.R. Plants with oral hypoglycemic action. Quarterly Journal of Crude Drug Research, 17(3-4), 139- 196, 1979.
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Braun, H. & Frohne, D. Heilplanzen-Lexikon Fuer Aerzte und Apotheker. Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart, New York, 1987.
Fitzpatrick, F.K. Plant substances active against mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antibiotics and Chemotherapy, 4(5), 528-536, 1954.
Maruzzella, J.C. & Lichtenstein, M.B. The in vitro antibacterial activity of oils. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 45, 378-381, 1956.
Maruzella, J.C. & Sicurella, A. Antibacterial activity of essential oils. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 49(11), 692-694, 1960.
Mascolo, N., Autore, G., Capasso, F., Menghini, A. & Fasulo, M. Biological screening of italian medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory activity. Phytotherapy Research, 1(1), 28-31, 1987.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
Nishikawa, H. Screening tests for antibiotaic action of plant extracts. Japanese Journal of Experimental Medicine, 20, 337-349, 1949.
Ohigashi, H. & Mitsui, T. Antimicrobial substances in higher plants. Botyu-Kagak, 38(3), 165-180, 1973.
Reiter, M. & Brandt, W. Relaxant effects on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles of the guinea pig. Arzneimittel-Forschung, 35(1), 408-414, 1985.
Schauenberg, P. & Paris, F. Guide to Medicinal Plants, Keats Publishing, Inc., New Canaan, Connecticut, 1977.
Essential Oil
See Basil Essence under Aromatherapy
Multimedia
Ocimum basilicum
© Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
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