Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATION OF SACRED PLANT OCIMUM CANUM

*Alok Kumar Dash, Jhansee Mishra and Dr. Deepak Kumar Dash

Abstract

The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medicalpractitioners for curing various diseases in their day to day practice. Intraditional systems of medicine, different parts (leaves, stem, flower,root, seeds and even whole plant) of Ocimum canum Linn (known askalaTulsi in Hindi), a small herb seen throughout India, have beenrecommended for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma,malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin diseases, arthritis, painful eyediseases, chronic fever, insect bite etc. The Ocimum canum L. has alsobeen suggested to possess antifertility, anticancer, antidiabetic,antifungal, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective,antiemetic, antispasmodic, analgesic, adaptogenic and diaphoretic actions.

Keywords: Tulsi, medicinal plant, Ocimum Canum Linn, phytochemical constituents, traditional uses.