BACKGROUND Sleep disorders are accompanied by several complications, and currently used soporific drugs can induce unwanted effects such as psychomotor impairment, tolerance, amnesia, and rebound insomnia. OBJECTIVES The present study was carried out to investigate if Ocimum basilicum has a sleep-prolonging effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS This work was an experimental study on 72 mice which w...

© 2012 Nikolić et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Antimutagens from Sage (Salvia officinalis) and Ba...

The quantitative analysis of salicylate provides useful information for the evaluation of metabolic processes in plants. We report a simple, noninvasive method to measure salicylate in situ in Ocimum basilicum leaves using reverse iontophoresis in combination with cyclic voltammetry at disposable screen-printed electrodes and the concentration of salicylate in basil leaves was found to be 3 mM.

We have modified the flavor and aroma of tomatoes by expressing the Ocimum basilicum geraniol synthase gene under the control of the tomato ripening–specific polygalacturonase promoter. A majority of untrained taste panelists preferred the transgenic fruits over controls. Monoterpene accumulation was at the expense of reduced lycopene accumulation. Similar approaches may be applicable for carot...

The antifungal activity and the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) from some Mediterranean autochthonous plants were investigated against Malassezia pachydermatis, a fastidious opportunistic yeast usually involved in canine external otitis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Anthemis nobilis, Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Illicium verum, Lavandula hybrida, Mentha piperita, O...

The anti-trypanosomal effects of aqueous extract of the leaf of Ocimum gratissimum were evaluated in both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. The anti-trypanosomal activity of the extract against Trypanosoma brucei was investigated in-vitro. The survival and motility of the trypanosomes were completely inhibited within two hours of incubation in various concentrations of the extract. Parasite surviva...

Ocimum basilicum, popularly known as Basil, is a Lamiaceae family species widely known to treat different diseases. This species has as its main compound the monoterpene linalool. This study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of O.basilicum essential oil and linalool against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa strains, as well as times to bacterial death facing each substance. The extraction...

Correspondence to: Emeka E.J. Iweala, Department of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Covenant University, P.M.B 1023, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Email: [email protected] Full Paper Preliminary qualitative screening for cancer chemopreventive agents in Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f., Gnetum africanum Welw., Gongronema latifolium Benth. and Ocimum gratissimum...

This study showed the comparison between Ocimum basilicum and Cassia fistula (leaves and branch) aqueous extracts for their ability to detoxify of aflatoxins B1 and B2 (AFB1; 100 μg L(-1) and AFB2; 50 μg L(-1)) by In Vitro assays and decontamination studies. Results indicated that O. basilicum leaves extract was found to be highly significant (P < 0.05) in degrading AFB1 and AFB2, i.e., 90.4 an...

The anxiolytic activity of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract was studied in mice. O.sanctum leaf extract produced significant anxiolytic activity in plus - maze and open field behaviour test models. The effect was compared with diazepam, a standard antianxiety drug.