Ethnobotany of Ocimum sanctum in India

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Ethnobotany of Ocimum sanctum in India
By Parmita Lad
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Taxonomy

• Kingdom Plantae
• Subkingdom Tracheobionta
• Superdivision Spermatophyta
• Division Magnoliophyta
• Class Magnoliopsida
• Subclass Asteridae
• Order Lamiales
• Family Lamiaceae Mint family
• Genus Ocimum L. Basil
• Species Ocimum sanctum holy basil

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Ocimum sanctum Holy basil

• A perennial herb or small shrub that grows 1-2
  feet tall
• Aromatic leaves are covered with tiny hairs
• Grows wild in tropical areas
• Planted in courtyards and temple gardens
• Found at heights up to 6000 ft.
• Known as Tulsi in India

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Who or What is Tulsi?

• A devoted wife who was deceived?
• Known facts
• Tulsi is a Goddess and is revered as one
• Haripriya and Vishnupriya very dear to Lord
  Vishnu
• All plant parts are used in prayers to Lord
  Vishnu
• Many medicinal uses of roots, stems, especially
  leaves
• Names Tulsi (female), Tulsiram (male)

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Tulsi Wedding

• In May-June, tulsi seeds are sown and the plant
  is nurtured for 3 months
• In September-October, the tulsi plant is
  worshipped by women
• Worship ends in October-November when the Goddess
  Tulsi is ceremoniously wed to Shaligrama stone
  (representation of Lord Vishnu)
• End of Tulsi wedding inaugurates annual wedding
  season for Hindus

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Religious uses of Tulsi

• Women pray daily in morning and evening
• Leaves are used when praying to Lord Vishnu
• Stems are used for beads fashioned into necklaces
  worn by Lord Vishnus devotees
• Tulsi leaves are put on food offered to Gods
• Lord Vishnus devotees consider tulsi as the
  manifestation of the God in the vegetable kingdom

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Religious uses of Tulsi

• Tulsi leaves and holy water are used in
  oath-taking
• Water and soil around tulsi become sacred
• Sinful to break branches
• Leaves are picked by men after praying to Goddess
  Tulsi for forgiveness
• Dead tulsi plants are discarded in rivers and
  ponds
• Tulsi protects people from bad luck and leads
  them towards heaven
• Bhutagni destroyer of demons or evil spirits

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Medicinal uses of Tulsi

• Tulsi leaves important in Ayurvedic medicine
• Scent of tulsi wards off insects and purifies air
• Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties
• Leaves are used to treat skin, respiratory and
  gastrointestinal diseases
• Antidote for snake bites and scorpion stings
• Relieves pain and eliminates blood toxins
• Safe to use in high doses
• Too sacred to use daily in food as
  spice/flavouring

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Active Compounds in Tulsi
Compounds containing phenol groups are the active
compounds.
Theres MANY MORE!!!
Other active ingredients
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Dr. Dukes Medicinal Uses
Total 243 activities and 30 chemicals listed

• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-cancer
• Anti-diabetic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-oxidative
• Anti-pyretic
• Anti-stress

• Asthma preventative
• Cold-preventative
• Detoxicant
• Hypotensive
• Insecticidal
• Painkiller/analgesic
• Spermicidal

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References

• Simoons, F. J. (1998) Plants of Life, Plants of
  Death The University of Wisconsin Press,
  Madison, Wisconsin.
• Hinduism Today http//www.hinduismtoday.com/archi
  ves/1997/3/1997-3-03.shtml
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Basil
• http//www.plantcultures.org/plants/holy_basil_lan
  ding.html
• Hiltunen, R. and Holm, Y. (1990) Basil The
  Genus Ocimum Harwood Academic Publishers,
  Amsterdam.
• Chemical Structures http//chemfinder.cambridgeso
  ft.com/
• Dr. Duke http//sun.ars-grin.gov8080/npgspub/xsq
  l/duke/pl_act.xsql?taxon2021