Effects of Water Stress on Growth and Chlorophyll Contents of Ocimum gratissimum L.(Basil)[Lamiaceae]

Ocimum gratissimum is an essential plant because of its wide food and medicinal usage.Despite its relevance,its mor­pho-physiological compositions are influenced by several abiotic stresses.Hence,this study examined the effects of water stress on the growth and chlorophyll contents of O.gratissimum.Seedlings of O.gratissimum were grown in twenty-four pots,two per pot and were arranged using a complete randomized design with four groups:Very Wet O.gratissimum(VWO),Moderately Water Stress O.gratissimum(MWSO),Strongly Water Stress O.gratissimum(SWSO)and Adequately Watered O.gratissimum(AWO)as control.Fifty centiliters of water was applied in AWO once daily,VWO twice daily,MSWO once in three days and SWSO once a week.Growth parameters:Stem height,number of leaves,leaf area,stem girth and petiole length were determined one week after treatment for six weeks.Chlorophyll contents were determined at two weeks inter­vals after treatment for eight weeks.Descriptive statistics such as mean±standard deviation and one-way Analysis of Var­iance(p<0.05)were done using SAS software.Results obtained showed the highest mean stem height(27.50±0.29 cm),number of leaves(37.00±9.0),leaf area(735.7±4.12 cm^(2)),stem girth(0.40±0.00 cm)and petiole length(7.20±0.40 cm)in VWO.Similar results were obtained for chlorophyll(56.70±0.65 mg^(-1)).It could be concluded that regular watering of O.gratissimum could promote growth and increase chlorophyll contents of the plant.

Anti-sickling Activity of Ursolic Acid Isolated from the Leaves of Ocimum gratissimum L.(Lamiaceae)

The present study reports in vitro anti-sickling activity and phytochemical analyses of the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum.Biological testing revealed that the plant extracts possess antisickling effects.The combination of spectroscopic techniques:1D-NMR,2D-NMR and MS revealed that ursolic acid is the major biologically active compound of O.gratissimum(Silva et al.in Molecules 13:2482–2487,2008;Kedar et al.J Food Drug Anal 20:865–871,2012).This study is the first report of the antisickling activity of ursolic acid isolated from O.gratissimum.The pharmaceutical relevance of findings from this study derives from the possibility of integrating O.gratissimum as an antisickling plant in the pharmacopoeia of Democratic Republic of the Congo.The identification of the active principle could enhance the standardization of antisickling recipe.

Preservation Potentials of Essential Oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from Two Agro-Ecological Zones on Freshwater Smoke-Dried Oreochromis niloticus Fish Sold in Some Local Markets in Cameroon

Dried fish are susceptible to bacteria and fungi attack and are liable to chemical changes which cause losses in quality and reduction of shelf-life. It is important therefore to maintain the quality of fish because continuous consumption of contaminated fish and their products may predispose consumers to health hazards. Maintenance of high quality fish therefore calls for adequate and effective preservation techniques. The study examined the effectiveness of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from two Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon in limiting the microbial proliferation and preserving the quality of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus fish stored at 25˚C for two months. The plant materials were harvested from the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest agroecological zones of Cameroon. Extraction of the essential oil from the plants was done by hydro-distillation. The fish species (Oreochromis niloticus) used in this study was chosen based on a survey study on the most consumed species of freshwater smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon. Heterotrophic bacteria counts, fungi counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts were used to assess the level heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae respectively in the fish samples during storage and were done by culture techniques using total plate count agar, potato dextrose agar and violet red bile glucose agar respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assays were used as spoilage indices to assess the nutritional quality of the fish during storage. From the survey study, Oreochromis niloticus was the most consumed smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands (35.45%) and Monomodal Humid Forest (34.55%) agroecological zones. All the EOs caused a significant reduction in the microbial loads, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus as storage progressed. However, the reduction in these values was more pronounced in samples treated with essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands, with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 5.89, 6.97 and 4.59 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 6.11, 7.79 and 4.86 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. Also, essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands was more effective in preserving the fish quality as lowest total volatile basic nitrogen (12.29 mg/100g), peroxide value (2.79 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (1.695 mg MDA/Kg) values were observed for fish samples treated with this extract at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with total volatile basic nitrogen (14.95 mgN/100g), Peroxide value (3.23 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (2.354 mg MDA/Kg) at the end of the storage period. From the results obtained, essential oils from O. gratissimum were more effective than that from O. basilicum in the two agroecological zones and should be considered as natural alternative to chemical preservatives for further application in food preservation.

Comparison of antioxidant activity of insulin, Ocimum gratissimum L., and Vernonia amygdalina L. in type 1 diabetic rat model

OBJECTIVE： Diabetes mellitus （DM） is known to be associated with increase of oxidative stress products. The direction of effect of any treatment on these products could therefore be a reliable measure of its efficacy on DM. So the aim of this study was to investigate the activity of insulin, Ocimum gratissimum L. （OG） and Vernonia amygdafina L. （VA） on oxidative stress products.METHODS： Thirty-six female Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g were randomly divided into six groups of six rats each. Thirty rats were induced for type 1 DM （DM1） with a single intraperitoneal administration of 65 mg/ kg body weight of streptozotocin. Group 1 was normal control and was administered distilled water while Group 2 served as DM1 control group; Groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 were diabetic rats treated with 208 mg/kg OG （DM1 ＋ OG）, 52 mg/kg VA （DM1 ＋ VA）, 208 mg/kg OG ＋ 52 mg/kg VA （DMI＋OG ＋VA） and 0.16 IU insulin （DM1 ＋ insulin） respectively. Determination of methemoglobin and sulfhemoglobin was achieved by the absorption spectrum principle. Red blood cell （RBC） catalase was assayed by continuous spectrophotometric method.RESULTS： The RBC catalase concentration was significantly decreased in the DM1 and DMI＋VA groups when compared with the normal control. DM1 ＋ OG significantly increased RBC-catalase when compared to DMI. The methemoglobin concentration was significantly reduced in the DM1, DM1 ＋ VA, DM1 ＋ OG ＋ VA and DM1 ＋ insulin groups when compared to the normal control group. The sulfhemoglobin concentration was significantly increased in the diabetic control and the diabetic treated groups when compared to the normal control. DM1 ＋ OG reduced the sulfhemoglobin concentration when compared to DM1. The blood glucose concentration of all the diabetic groups was significantly raised compared to normal control. OG, VA and insulin significantly reduced the blood glucose concentration with the efficacy of OG and VA higher than insulin.CONCLUSION： Adverse alteration of oxidative indices were observed in type 1 DM model. Treatment with OG and insulin showed potent antioxidant activity, while the hypoglycemic efficacy of OG and VA were higher than insulin.

Aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum Linn and ascorbic acid ameliorate nicotine-induced cellular damage in murine peritoneal macrophage

Objective:To test the in vitro protective role of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum Linn. (0.gratissimum) and ascorbic acid against nicotine-induced murine peritoneal macrophage. Methods:Peritoneal macrophages from mice were treated with nicotine(10 mM),nicotine (10 mM) with aqueous extract of O.gratissimum(1 to 25μg/mL),and nicotine(10 mM) with ascorbic acid(0.01 mM) for 12 h in cell culture media,while the control group was treated with culture media.Levels of free radical generation,lipid peroxidation,protein carbonyls,oxidized glutathione levels and DNA damage were observed and compared.Results:Phytochemical analysis of aqueous extract has shown high amount of phenolics and flavonoids compound present in it.The significantly increased free radical generation,lipid peroxidation,protein carbonyls,oxidized glutathione levels and DNA damage were observed in nicotine-treated group as compared to the control group:those were significantly reduced in aqueous extract of O. gratissimum and ascorbic acid supplemented groups.Moreover,significantly reduced antioxidant status in nicotine exposed murine peritoneal macrophage was effectively ameliorated by these two products.Among the different concentration of aqueous extract of O.gratissimum,the maximum protective effect was observed at 10μg/mL which does not produce any significant change in the normal cell.Conclusions:These findings suggest the potential use and beneficial role of O.gratissimum as a modulator of nicotine-induced cellular damage in murine peritoneal macrophage.

The Effect of Lion’s Ear (<i>Leonotis nepetifolia</i>) and African Basil (<i>Ocimum gratissimum</i>) Plant Extracts on Two-Spotted Spider Mites (<i>Tetranychus urticae</i>) for Improved Yield and Quality of French Beans

An experiment to evaluate the bio-control potential of Leonotis nepetifolia and Ocimum gratissimum plant extracts against two-spotted spider mites on French beans was conducted in the field. Five plant extract concentrations (1.5%, 3.0%, 6.0% and 12.0% w/v) were applied with water and Abamectin 0.6 ml/L as controls. Mite counts were done before and after treatment application and expressed as corrected percent efficacy. The impact of the mites on the French beans was evaluated by recording percent leaf reduction and quality and quantity by number of pods, pod length, diameter and yield. There was a dose dependent response in percent mite and leaf reduction, number of pods and yield. Treatments applied at 12% w/v indicated higher mite reduction (82.75%) for L. nepetifolia and 69.06% for O. gratissimum compared to abamectin (65.76%). The lowest percent leaf reduction of 1.71% for L. nepetifolia 0.39% for O. gratissimum and abamectin (20.46%) was also at 12% w/v. Similarly, the highest number of pod (61.00) for L. nepetifolia, 48.67 for O. gratissimum compared to 28.33 abamectin and yield (0.88 kg) for L. nepetifolia and 0.90 kg for O. gratissimum was also recorded at 12% w/v compared to 0.36 kg for abamectin. There were no significant differences in pod diameter and pod length between the extracts concentrations and abamectin. The study demonstrated the efficacy of L. nepetifolia and O. gratissimum in managing two-spotted spider mite and subsequent increase in French bean yield under field conditions.

白花罗勒(Ocimum basilium L.)盾状腺毛分泌过程的超微结构研究

白花罗勒成熟的盾状腺毛头部细胞中 ,质体含量丰富 ,体积较大 ,其中有大量的嗜锇物质积累 ;在分泌过程中 ,分泌细胞出现质壁分离现象 ;嗜锇物质向外分泌的途径有两条 :一条是以胞吐的方式 。

Synergistic antioxidant interactions between green tea and Ocimum gratissimum

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant interactions between aqueous infusions of green tea and Ocimum gratissimum at different ratios. Methods: Antioxidant activities of aqueous infusion of green tea and Ocimum gratissimum (leaves) alone or in combination at various proportions (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3) were determined by DPPH, ABTS, NO and ex-vivo assays including lipid peroxidation and haemolysis. Total phenolic content and flavonoid content was calculated by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride colorimetry method, respectively. A correlation study was also conducted between the antioxidant activity and total phenolic/flavonoid content of various infusions. The interactions were analyzed by combination index applying CompuSyn software. Results: Green tea exhibited high radical scavenging ability as compared to Ocimum gratissimum infusion. Combination of green tea and Ocimum gratissimum exhibited moderate antagonism to strong synergistic interaction at various ratios. A strong correlation was found between total phenolic content/total flavonoid content and antioxidant activities of individual infusions (green tea and Ocimum gratissimum). For binary mixture at different ratios, a weak to strong correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity and almost no correlation between total flavonoid content and antioxidant potential. Conclusions: Overall, green tea and Ocimum gratissimum combination (1:1) displayed the highest antioxidant potential and maximum synergism.

Hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic study of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.leaves extract in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.(O.tenuiflorum) leaves used in the traditional medicine management of diabetes in Malaysia.Methods:O.tenuiflorum leaves were extracted sequentially with hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,methanol,and water.The extracts were evaluated in terms of antidiabetic activity by using acute,subcutaneous glucose tolerance,and sub-chronic tests in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats.The extracts were also subjected to phytochemical analyses.Results:With an acute dose(1 g/kg),the methanol extracts showed significant reduction(31%) in fasting blood glucose(FBG) of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.The FBG-decreasing effect of ethyl acetate extract was more rapid than that of the other extracts;the decreasing rates were 20%after 2 h,21%after 3 h,and 8%after 5 and 7 h.After 7 h(31%),the effect of methanol extract on FBG was significantly lower than that of metformin.In the subcutaneous glucose tolerance test,only methanol and hexane extracts showed the similarity of metformin in diabetic rats.After 14 days,the effects of these extracts were similar to those of metformin(63.33%).The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of extracts decreased as the polarity of the extraction solvent increased.Conclusions:The results obtained provide support for a possible use of O.tenuiflorum leaves in managing hyperglycemia and preventing the complications associated with it in type 2 diabetic.

Comparative study on some selected species of <i>Ocimum</i>genus on free radical scavenging activity and hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 induced intoxication in rats

In this study, we compared the in vitro antioxidant property among the selected Ocimum species (O. sanctum, O. americanum, O. basilicum and O. gratissimum) and hepatoprotective activities of their extracts against CCl4 induced intoxication. The results suggested that the four species of Ocimum genus showed variability in Phenolic content and in vitro antioxi-dant activity against DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in the following manner: O. sanctum > O. americanum > O. basilicum > O. gratissimum respec-tively. Based on serum AST, ALT, ALP and T. Bil levels, the alcoholic extracts of Ocimum species showed a significant dose dependent (250 mg and 500 mg and 750 mg/kg p.o.) and a protective effect against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. The results further revealed that the potential hepatoprotective activity of Ocimum sanctum among the Ocimum species.

Chemo-type of essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L.from DR Congo and relative in vitro antioxidant potential to the polarity of crude extracts

Objective:To carry out a phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil from Ocimum basilicum L.(O.basilicum) harvested in DR Congo and to assess the antioxidant potential of crude extracts with respect to the polarity for comparison reason.Methods:The phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil produced by hydrodistillation was performed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis and the antioxidant potential evaluation by in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity method.Results:A previously weighed amount of fresh leaves of O.basilicum produced 0.65%of essential oil that led to the identification of a set of 84.44%out of 99.98%as major compounds(> 1.5%).The chemo-type of this essential oil was linalool-methyl chavicol.Chemical components of oil were characterized by oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons(46.00%) and oxygenated monoterpenes(26.75%).With respect to the amount of components,methyl chavicol also known as estragole(35.72%) constituted the very large quantity afterward linalool(21.25%) and then epi-α-cadinol(8.02%),α-bergamotene(6.56%),eugenol(4.60%),1,8-cineole(4.04%),germacrene D(2.06%),thymol(1.64%),and(E)-citral(1.55%),respectively.Essential oil exhibited antioxidant potential and IC_(50) =(1.180 ± 0.015) mg/mL.Non-polar crude extracts yields were low compared to the one of polar extracts.Only methanol and ethyl acetate had considerably manifested antioxidant potential with IC_(50) values equal to(0.025 ± 0.013) mg/mL and(0.085 ± 0.012) mg/mL,respectively.As concerns to IC50 values,essential oil was less active than methanol and ethyl acetate extracts.The methanol crude extract exhibited the highest activity.Non-polar extracts showed insignificant radical scavenging ability that did not allow assessing IC50 values.These results highlighted the occurrence of antioxidant potential compounds in polar media.Conclusions:Essential oil and crude extracts of O.basilicum growing in DR Congo can be advocated as natural sources of antioxidant potential compounds not only in food but also in pharmaceutical industries.The high antioxidant potential of polar crude extracts highlights antioxidant character of its composition particularly butyl stearate and rosmarinic acid we isolated and identified,respectively in the methanol crude extract.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Volatile Oil of Ocimum basilicum L. in Bozhou and Its Mechanisms

[Objectives] The research aimed to study the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from Ocimum basilicum L. in Bozhou through the experimental animal model of inflammation.[Methods] Xylene-induced mouse ear swelling model and carrageenan-induced mouse paw swelling model were used to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from O. basilicum L.[Results] The extremely high, high, medium, and low doses of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. had a certain inhibitory effect on the ear swelling of mice induced by xylene ( P <0.05), and the inhibitory effect of high-dose group on the ear swelling of mice was better. The swollen degree of the mice s toes in the different dose groups of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. was significantly lower ( P <0.05), and the high-dose and middle-dose groups had better inhibition.[Conclusions] The volatile oil from O. basilicum L. in Bozhou had a significant inhibitory effect on xylene-induced mouse ear swelling and carrageenan-induced mouse paw swelling. It proved and clarified the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. in Bozhou.

Anti-Oxidative, Anti-Hyperglycemic and Lipid-Lowering Effects of Aqueous Extracts of <i>Ocimum sanctum</i>L. Leaves in Diabetic Rats

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of aqueous extracts of Ocimum sanctum L. leaves on blood glucose, serum lipid profile and anti-oxidative activity to protect various risk organs in DM rats. Ocimum sanctum L. leaves were extracted using water, then the total phenolic content was determined. Three groups of male Wistar rats were used including normal control rats, DM rats and DM rats daily fed with aqueous extracts of Ocimum sanctum L. leaves (AQOS) for three weeks. DM rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kgbw). The results show that three weeks of diabetic induction increased blood glucose, serum lipid profile and serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, CK-MB, creatinine and BUN. AQOS significantly decreased blood glucose, serum lipid profile and serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, CK-MB, creatinine and BUN. The low level of serum insulin was also raised by AQOS. AQOS suppressed high TBARS level and raised the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, kidney and cardiac tis- sues. Histopathological results show that AQOS preserved the liver, kidney and myocardial tissues. It can be concluded that AQOS had anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and free radical sca- venging effects providing organ protection from diabetes. The phenolic compounds contained in AQOS might be responsible for these activities.

Variability in Content and Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Obtained from Aerial Plant Parts

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) project that is being conducted at the National Oilseed Processing Research Institute (NOPRI) aims at exploiting the genetic diversity and associated phenotypic variation in the investigated basil germplasm and evaluating key factors such as variety, plant ontogeny and plant parts that affect yield, chemical constituents, aroma and flavor of essential oils. This paper discussed the variability inessential oils content and chemical constituents of the aerial plant parts of the basil. An open-air pot experiment was carried out using three accessions provided by Agricultural Research Corporation-Genetic Resources Unit, Sudan. The essential oils were hydro distilled from the aerial parts, flowers, leaves, stems, using Clevenger apparatus. The chemical constituents of the essential oils were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). As the hydro distillation yielded no oil from the stem, we present only the results for leaves and flowers. The results revealed that the essential oil content varied with a range of 0.29% to 0.33% for flowers and 0.32% to 0.48% for leaves. As usual, the content of essential oils was higher in leaves than in flowers. The Silate-Egyptian accession had the lowest essential oil content obtained from leaves and flowers. However, South Darfur accession from Sudan had the highest oil content but did not significantly differ from Kennana accession. Several oil components were identified based upon comparison of their mass spectral data with those of reference compounds published in literature or stored in a computer library. The combined GC-MS analysis showed that methyl eugenol was the major constituent of the essential oil of Kennana accession. While the major constituent of essential oil of South-Darfur and Silate-Egyptian accessions were germacrene and linalool, respectively.

RP-HPLC测定罗勒中石吊兰素的含量

建立反相-高效液相色谱法(RP-HPLC)测定罗勒(Ocimum basilicumL.)中石吊兰素的含量。用Microsorb-M V 100-5C18(4.6mm×250mm,5μm)色谱柱,甲醇:1%醋酸=86:14(V/V)为流动相,流速为0.5mL/min,检测波长为335nm。石吊兰素浓度在0.27—32.4μg/mL范围内与峰面积线性关系良好(r=0.9999),方法平均回收率大于99%(n=9)。方法简单、可靠,可应用于罗勒植物中石吊兰素的含量测定。

Humic Acid-Induced Hairy Root Growth in Basil Ismodulated by Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species

The bioactivity of humic acids (HA) is mainly due to the presence of auxin analogs. In turn, nitric oxide (NO) production in plants affects root growth and may result from endogenous auxin production or the application of synthetic auxin analogs or HA. Nitric oxide signaling may be related to the bioactivity of the HA. Although the auxin, NO, and ROS-mediated activity of HA has been studied, no studies exist on their effects in Ocimum basilicum L., commonly known as basil. A study under controlled in vitro conditions was performed using hairy roots (hairy roots) of basil grown in medium with N-NO3- (0.5 or 5.0 mM) and subjected to treatments with HA (3 mMC·L-1) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP;100 μM), an NO donor, either without or with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO;200 μM), an NO scavenger. The addition of HA and SNP resulted in significant increases in the root growth, associated with increased NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents. The application of the NO scavenger cPTIO with the SNP and HA decreased the effects of both substances on the root growth and endogenous levels of the NO and ROS. The increased root growth promoted by the NO donor (SNP) and HA was also associated with increased proton pump and catalase activity for both N-NO3- levels tested. The results showed that the effects of HA are dependent on NO and ROS, which act as messengers, inducing root growth.

Extraction Process of Basil Essential Oil by Steam Distillation

[Objectives] To optimize volatile oil extraction from Ocimum basilicum with the water vapor distillation. [Methods] An orthogonal design was carried out to determine the volume of volatile oil by 3 factors: the immersion time, distillation time, amount of water. The ratio of the oil in inclusion complex was used to evaluate the technology based on the orthogonal design. [Results] The best volatile oil extraction condition was to add 400 mL of water into the mixture of crude drugs, and to extract the herbal medicine for 2 h with advanced soaking for 6 h with water. [Conclusions] The process is stable, reasonable, and feasible.