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Ocimum tenuiflorum

Species of flowering plant

Species of flowering plant

| Geniosporum tenuiflorum | (L.) Merr. | Lumnitzera tenuiflora | (L.) Spreng. | Moschosma tenuiflorum | (L.) Heynh. | Ocimum hirsutum | Benth. | Ocimum inodorum | Burm.f. | Ocimum monachorum | L. | Ocimum sanctum | L. | Ocimum subserratum | B.Heyne ex Hook.f. | Ocimum tomentosum | Lam. | Plectranthus monachorum | (L.) Spreng.

Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as tulasi, tulsi, or holy basil, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific. This plant has escaped from cultivation and has naturalized in many tropical regions of the Americas. It is an agricultural and environmental weed.

Tulasi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and also for its essential oil. It is widely used as an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda. It has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving the plant or its leaves.

Morphology

Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, 30-60 cm tall with hairy stems. Leaves are green or purple; they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have a decussate phyllotaxy. The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongated racemes.

The three main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are Ram tulsi (the most common type, with broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet), the less common purplish green-leaved (Krishna or Shyama tulsi) and the common wild vana tulsi (e.g., Ocimum gratissimum).

Phytochemicals

The plant and its oil contain diverse phytochemicals, including tannins, flavonoids, eugenol, caryophyllenes, carvacrol, linalool, camphor, and cinnamyl acetate, among others. One study reported that the plant contains an eponymous family of 10 neolignan compounds called tulsinol A-J.

Specific aroma compounds in the essential oil are camphor (32%), eucalyptol (19%), ⍺-bisabolene (17%), eugenol (14%), germacrene (11%) and β-bisabolene (11%). In addition, more than 60 different aroma compounds were found through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of holy basil. However, other studies have stated tulsi essential oil consists mostly of eugenol (70%) β-elemene (11%), β-caryophyllene (8%), and germacrene (2%), with the balance being made up of various trace compounds, mostly terpenes.

Uses

Culinary

Thai cuisine

The leaves of holy basil, known as kaphrao in the Thai language (กะเพรา), are commonly used in Thai cuisine for certain stir-fries and curries such as phat kaphrao (ผัดกะเพรา) — a stir-fry of Thai holy basil with meats, seafood or, as in khao phat kraphao, with rice. Two different types of holy basil are used in Thailand, a "red" variant which tends to be more pungent, and a "white" version for seafood dishes. Kaphrao should not be confused with horapha (โหระพา), which is normally known as Thai basil, or with Thai lemon basil (maenglak; แมงลัก).

Minangkabau cuisine

Holy basil (in Minangkabau language and Indonesian language are known as **) is also widely used for Minangkabau dishes, particularly for its gulai variety, which involves fish as the primary source of protein. These Minangkabau fish gulais that commonly use holy basil such as gulai ikan mas (carp gulai), gulai ikan kakap (red snapper gulai), gulai kepala ikan kakap (red snapper's head gulai), samba ikan gadang or pangek (braised fish gulai), and gulai telur ikan (fish roe gulai). Holy basil leaves are used to enhance flavour.

File:Kraphao mu khai dao.jpg|Phat kaphrao mu – Thai holy basil with pork – a common dish in Thailand. File:Gulai kapalo lauak.jpg|A plate of gulai kepala ikan (fish head's gulai) accompanied by ruku-ruku, slices of blimbi wuluh (Averrhoa bilimbi) and green cabai rawit (bird's eye chilies).

Insect repellent

For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.

Nematicidal

The essential oil may have nematicidal properties against Tylenchulus semipenetrans, Meloidogyne javanica, Anguina tritici, and Heterodera cajani.

Significance in Hinduism

Main article: Tulasi in Hinduism

Tulasi has been used in Ayurvedic and Siddha practices for its supposed medicinal properties.

Tulasi is a sacred plant for Hindus, particularly the Vaishnavite sect. It is worshipped as the avatar of Lakshmi, and is often planted in courtyards of Hindu houses or temples to Hanuman. The ritual lighting of lamps each evening during Kartik includes the worship of the tulsi plant. Vaishnavites are also known as "those who bear the* tulsi* around the neck".

Tulasi Vivaha is a ceremonial festival performed between Prabodhini Ekadashi (the 11th or 12th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika) and Kartik Purnima (the full moon of the month).

Every evening, Odia and Bengali Hindus place earthen lamps in front of tulsi plants. During the Kati Bihu festival celebrated in Assam, people light earthen lamps (diya) at the foot of the household tulsi plants and pray.

References

References

  1. {{GRIN
  2. (2023). "''Ocimum tenuiflorum'' L.". Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens.
  3. Staples, George. (1999). "Ethnic Culinary Herbs". University of Hawaii Press.
  4. Warrier, P K. (1995). "Indian Medicinal Plants". Orient Longman.
  5. (23 August 2014). "''Ocimum tenuiflorum'' (holy basil)". CABI Invasive Species Compendium.
  6. (26 June 2023). "''Ocimum tenuiflorum''". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  7. Warrier, P K. (1995). "Indian Medicinal Plants". Orient Longman.
  8. (November–December 2005). "Volatile Constituents in Oil from Different Plant Parts of Methyl Eugenol-Rich Ocimum tenuiflorum L.f. (syn. O. sanctum L.) Grown in South India". Journal of Essential Oil Research.
  9. (1 February 2022). "Holy basil". Drugs.com.
  10. (2012). "LC-MS Quantification of Rosmarinic Acid and Ursolic Acid in Theocimum Sanctumlinn. Leaf Extract (Holy Basil, Tulsi)". Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies.
  11. Singh, Deepika. (2018-08-01). "A review on phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Holy basil (''Ocimum sanctum'' L.)". Industrial Crops and Products.
  12. (2016). "Antimicrobial Activity of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Essential Oil and Their Major Constituents against Three Species of Bacteria". Frontiers in Microbiology.
  13. (2011). "Comparative volatile oil composition of four ''Ocimum'' species from northern India". Natural Product Research.
  14. (2010). "Thai food". Pavilion Books.
  15. (2017). "Bangkok". Ten Speed Press.
  16. [http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Ocim_bas.html Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages]
  17. (3 June 2024). "Daun Ruku-Ruku, Bumbu Dapur yang Sering Dipakai Orang Minang". Sumbarkita.id.
  18. (2004). "Ensiklopedi makanan tradisional Indonesia: Sumatera.". Proyek Pelestarian dan Pengembangan Tradisi dan Kepercayaan.
  19. Biswas, N. P.. (2005). "Evaluation of some leaf dusts as grain protectant against rice weevil ''Sitophilus oryzae'' (Linn.)". Environment and Ecology.
  20. Chitwood, David J.. (2002). "Phytochemical Based Strategies for Nematode Control". [[Annual Reviews (publisher).
  21. NIIR Board, National Institute of Industrial Research (India). (2004). "Compendium of Medicinal Plants". National Institute of Industrial Research.
  22. (30 March 2015). "Herbs and Natural Supplements, Volume 2: An Evidence-Based Guide". Elsevier Health Sciences.
  23. Flood, Gavin D.. (2001). "The Blackwell companion to Hinduism". Wiley-Blackwell.
  24. Wilkins, W.J.. (2003). "Hindu Mythology". D.K. Printworld.
  25. Simoons, Frederick J.. (1998). "Plants of life, plants of death". Univ of Wisconsin Press.
  26. Underhill, M. M.. (1991). "The Hindu Religious Year". Asian Educational Services.
  27. (2008). "Ethnobotany of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra". Daya Publishing House.
  28. ANI. "Kati Bihu celebrated in Assam".
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