Search Results (22)

Background/Objectives: Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) essential oil exhibits antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anesthetic activities, mainly due to eugenol, methyl eugenol, and β-caryophyllene. However, its clinical application is limited by poor water solubility, instability, and low bioavailability. This study developed and compared two delivery systems, self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) and microemulsions (ME), to enhance their stability and fish anesthetic efficacy. Methods: The optimized SNEDDS (25% basil oil, 8.33% coconut oil, 54.76% Tween 80, 11.91% PEG 400) and ME (12% basil oil, 32% Tween 80, 4% sorbitol, 12% ethanol, 40% water) were characterized for droplet size, PDI, zeta potential, pH, and viscosity. Stability was evaluated by monitoring droplet size and PDI over time and by determining the retention of eugenol, methyl eugenol, and β-caryophyllene after storage at 45 °C. Fish anesthetic efficacy was tested in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio var. koi). Results: SNEDDS maintained a small droplet size (~22.78 ± 1.99 nm) and low PDI (0.188 ± 0.088 at day 60), while ME showed significant size enlargement (up to 177.10 ± 47.50 nm) and high PDI (>0.5). After 90 days at 45 °C, SNEDDS retained 94.45% eugenol, 94.08% methyl eugenol, and 88.55% β-caryophyllene, while ME preserved 104.76%, 103.53%, and 94.47%, respectively. In vivo testing showed that SNEDDS achieved faster anesthesia (114.70 ± 24.80 s at 120 ppm) and shorter recovery (379.60 ± 15.61 s) than ME (134.90 ± 4.70 s; 473.80 ± 16.94 s). Ethanol failed to induce anesthesia at 40 ppm and performed poorly compared to SNEDDS and ME at other concentrations (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: SNEDDS demonstrated superior physical stability and fish anesthetic performance compared to ME. These findings support SNEDDS as a promising formulation for delivering holy basil essential oil in biomedical and aquaculture applications. Full article

Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) is a medicinal herb rich in bioactive flavonoids with therapeutic properties. Traditional quantification methods rely on time-consuming and destructive extraction processes, whereas hyperspectral imaging provides a rapid, non-destructive alternative by analysing spectral signatures. However, effectively linking hyperspectral data to flavonoid levels remains a challenge for developing early detection tools before harvest. This study integrates deep learning with hyperspectral imaging to quantify flavonoid contents in 113 samples from 26 Thai holy basil cultivars collected across diverse regions of Thailand. Two deep learning architectures, ResNet1D and CNN1D, were evaluated in combination with feature extraction techniques, including wavelet transformation and Gabor-like filtering. ResNet1D with wavelet transformation achieved optimal performance, yielding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.8246 and an accuracy of 0.7702 for flavonoid content classification. Cross-validation demonstrated the model’s robust predictive capability in identifying antioxidant-rich samples. Samples with the highest predicted flavonoid content were identified, and cultivars exhibiting elevated levels of both flavonoids and phenolics were highlighted across various regions of Thailand. These findings demonstrate the predictive capability of hyperspectral data combined with deep learning for phytochemical assessment. This approach offers a valuable tool for non-destructive quality evaluation and supports cultivar selection for higher phytochemical content in breeding programs and agricultural applications. Full article

The antifungal effectiveness of essential oils (EOs) and their predominant components were tested on 14 phytopathogenic fungi isolated from olive trees. Commercial EOs from holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.), Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum Ness), lemon (Citrus × limon), peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.), oregano (Origanum compactum Benth), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and components eugenol, e-cinnamaldehyde, limonene, menthol, carvacrol, and thymol were used. Antifungal efficacy was tested on six species from the Botryosphaeriaceae family: Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug. ex Fr.) Ces. & De Not.; Diplodia mutila (Fr.) Fr.; D. seriata De Not.; Dothiorella iberica A.J.L. Phillips, J. Luque & A. Alves; Do. sarmentorum (Fr.) A.J.L. Phillips, Alves & Luque; and Neofusicoccum parvum (Pennycook & Samuels) Crous, Slippers & A.J.L. Phillips. Other tested species included Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze, B. nummularia (Bull.) Kuntze; Cytospora pruinosa Défago; Nigrospora gorlenkoana Novobr.; N. osmanthi Mei Wang & L. Cai; N. philosophiae-doctoris M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai; Phaeoacremonium iranianum L. Mostert, Grafenhan, W. Gams & Crous; and Sordaria fimicola (Roberge ex Desm.) Ces. & De Not. The results show that Chinese cinnamon and oregano EOs, along with their components, completely inhibited the growth of all tested fungi, indicating their potential as biological control agents in sustainable agriculture. In contrast, the least effective treatments were the EOs derived from lemon and peppermint, as well as the components limonene, menthol, and thymol. Notably, the fungi Do. iberica and N. gorlenkoana were among the most sensitive to all the treatments applied. Full article

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been considered an important source of curative remedy for many years due to their potential chemical components which can promote health and prevent diseases. According to TCM, influenza is differentiated into two kinds, namely, wind-cold syndrome and wind-heat syndrome. Many traditional Chinese medicinal plants have been found to exert impacts against both cold and influenza viruses. This article included randomized control experiments, observational and analytical designs, and review articles which have been searched in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The most important antiviral herbs for cold and flu are honey-suckle flowers (Lonicera periclymenum L.), thyme leaf (Thymus vulgaris L.), green chireta (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees), Calendula (Calendua officinalis L.), and peppermints leaf and oil (Mentha piperita L.). The most notable expectorant herbs for cold and flu are snake root (Ageratina altissima (L.) R.King & H.Rob), tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra Muhl) and marshmallow osha root (Althea officinalis L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry), and sage leaf (Salvia officinalis L.). Immunostimulant herbs for cold and flu are eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globuls Labill), Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench), ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey), garlic (Allium sativum L.), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.), Isatis root (Isatis tinctoria L.), ginger root (Zingiber officinale Rosc), and myrrh resin (Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl.). The most famous and practical herbal prescriptions from China are Jinchai, Rorrico, Ge Gen Decoction, Gegen Qinlian Decoction, Xin-Jia-Xiang-Ru-Yin, Yi-Zhi-Hao pellet, IMOD, and Arbidol combinations. Traditional Chinese medicinal plants and herbs with antiviral activities and prescriptions which are common in China can be considered for prevention and treatment of influenza and cold. Full article

Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) is a widely renowned herb for its abundance of bioactive compounds and medicinal applications. Nevertheless, there exists a dearth of knowledge regarding the variability among holy basil cultivars capable of yielding substantial bioactive compounds. This study aims to address this gap by shedding light on the diversity of antioxidant capacities within different accessions of Thai holy basil by employing a density-based clustering algorithm to categorize the holy basil cultivars that demonstrate notable antioxidant potential. The study involves the analysis of the anthocyanin, flavonoid, phenolic, and terpenoid content, as well as DPPH antioxidant activity, in 26 Thai holy basil accessions collected from diverse locations in Thailand. Among the 26 tested Thai holy basil cultivars, terpenoids were found to be the dominant class of compounds, with average values of 707 mg/gDW, while the levels of flavonoids and phenolic compounds remained below 65 mg rutin/gDW and 46 mg GAE/gDW, respectively. The DPPH assay in holy basil cultivars demonstrated that the antioxidant activity ranged between 50% and 93%. After standardizing the data, the clustering results revealed four distinct groups of cultivars: the first group, with low antioxidant levels; the second group, with high terpenoid content; the third group, with high flavonoid, DPPH antioxidant activity, and phenolic content; and the fourth group, with elevated levels of anthocyanin, DPPH antioxidant activity, and phenolic content. A strong positive correlation was observed among DPPH antioxidant activity, flavonoids, and phenolics. Specific cultivars: The Red, OC108, and OC106 holy basil cultivars in cluster 4 exhibited high anthocyanin and phenolic production. In cluster 3, the accessions OC113, OC057, OC063, and OC059 showed high DPPH antioxidant activity, flavonoids, and phenolics, while, in cluster 2, only accessions from Udon Thani, Thailand—namely OC194 and OC195—displayed high terpenoid content. Ultimately, this study significantly contributes to the inherent diversity in the antioxidant capacities among various Thai holy basil cultivars. It lays the foundation for targeted breeding strategies and informed choices regarding consumption. The comprehensive insights from this analysis hold the potential to accurately identify holy basil cultivars with promising applications in medicine, functional foods, and the nutraceutical industry. Full article

Natural products provide an unparalleled diversity of small molecules to fuel drug screening efforts, but deconvoluting the pharmacological activity of natural product mixtures to identify key bioactive compounds remains a vexing and labor-intensive process. Therefore, we have developed a new platform to probe the non-specific pharmacological potential of compounds present in common dietary supplements via shotgun derivatization with isotopically labeled propanoic acid, a live cell affinity assay, which was used to selectively recognize the population of compounds which bind tightly to HeLa cells in culture, and a computational LC-MS data analysis of isotopically labeled compounds from cell lysate. The data analysis showed that hundreds of compounds were successfully derivatized in each extract, and dozens of those compounds showed high affinity for HeLa cells. In total, over a thousand isotopically labeled compounds were screened for cell affinity across three separate experiments, resulting in the identification of several known bioactive compounds with specific protein targets and six previously unreported structures. The new natural products include three tulsinol compounds which were isolated from Ocimum tenuiflorum and three valeraninium alkaloids from Valeriana officinalis. The valeraninium alkaloids constitute a distinct new family of alkaloids from valerian, which may have previously undescribed bioactivity. These results collectively demonstrate the tag and snag workflow’s viability as a drug discovery method. Full article

A facile single-step wet chemical synthesis of a transition-metal-doped molybdate derivative was achieved via an Ocimum tenuiflorum extract-mediated green approach. The Synthesized nanomaterials of doped molybdate were characterized by optical and other spectroscopic techniques, which confirmed the size of nanocrystalline (~27.3 nm). The thermal stability of the nanomaterials confirmed through thermogravimetric analysis showed similarity with nanomaterials of Mn-ZnMoO₄. Moreover, the nanoparticles displayed a non-toxic nature and showed antibactericidal activity. The impact of doping was reflected in band gap measurements; undoped ZnMoO₄ showed relatively lower band gap in comparison to Mn-doped ZnMoO₄. In the presence of light, ZnMoO₄ nanomaterials a exhibited photocatalytic response to solochrome dark blue dye with a concentration of 50 ppm. OH⁻ and O₂*⁻ radicals also destroyed the blue color of the dye within 2 min and showed potential antibactericidal activity towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, representing a unique application of the green-synthesized nanocatalyst. Full article

Nanotechnology is an emerging multidisciplinary field that has the potential to offer solutions to pharmaceutical challenges starting from drug delivery to therapeutic applications. The plant-mediated method is eco-friendly and the most inexpensive of the various techniques used to synthesize nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, silver (Ag) NPs have been successfully synthesized using leaf extract of Catharanthus roseus and Ocimum tenuiflorum. X-ray diffraction revealed an average crystalline size of 19.96 and 21.42 nm for C. roseus and O. tenuiflorum-mediated Ag NPs, respectively. Further, shape, size, and elemental composition were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectral technique. TEM study revealed spherical/spheroidal-shaped Ag NPs were formed between 10–48 nm with C. roseus and 17–55 nm with O. tenuiflorum. Both synthesized Ag NPs inhibited Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, where the effect was more prominent against E. coli (MIC 3.90 ± 0 µg/mL) with O. tenuiflorum Ag NPs. Mechanistic insights of antibacterial activity were also highlighted, and the activity might be attributed to the diverse mode of action of surface functionalized phytoconstituents and NPs. Full article

Inflammatory bowel disease is a term used for chronic inflammatory condition that includes two diseases, i.e., ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; both mostly affect the colon, as well as the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, respectively. If untreated, they may cause the gut to become more constricted, rupture, produce holes, fistulas, and most alarmingly, colon cancer. One of the key signalling pathways reported to be important in IBD and colon cancer is the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. According to several studies, Keap1/Nrf2 is also implicated in T-cell differentiation and inflammation; it can block generation of IL-17, Th1 and Th17, and stop the production of various other pro-inflammatory cytokines. Most fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols, which are recognized by their possession of more than one phenolic group. By destroying Keap1, these polyphenols can activate a pathway connected to Nrf2. We have seen continuous improvements in polyphenol extraction and purification, and in research on the molecular mechanism of Keap1/Nrf2 in numerous polyphenol monomers that can control Nrf2, over the past decade. Therefore, molecular docking research was carried out to assess how Keap1/Nrf2 interacted with the common polyphenols found in Krishna Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) such as syringic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, catechin and epicatechin. Catechin was found to have the lowest binding energy (−8.2 kcal/mol), which indicates the high binding affinity between the chosen receptor and ligand. The contact hydrogen bond includes GLY364; LEU365 and LEU557. To verify these results in IBD, however, more in vitro and in vivo research is necessary. Full article

This study aimed to increase the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants through inoculation with endophytic fungi. As endophytes influence medicinal plants’ biological properties, twenty fungal strains were isolated from the medicinal plant Ocimum tenuiflorum. Among all fungal isolates, the R2 strain showed the highest antagonistic activity towards plant pathogenic fungi Rosellinia necatrix and Fusarium oxysporum. The partial ITS region of the R2 strain was deposited in the GenBank nucleotide sequence databases under accession number ON652311 as Fusarium fujikuroi isolate R2 OS. To ascertain the impact of an endophytic fungus on the biological functions of medicinal plants, Stevia rebaudiana seeds were inoculated with Fusarium fujikuroi (ON652311). In the DPPH assay, the IC₅₀ value of the inoculated Stevia plant extracts (methanol, chloroform, and positive control) was 72.082 µg/mL, 85.78 µg/mL, and 18.86 µg/mL, respectively. In the FRAP assay, the IC₅₀ value of the inoculated Stevia extracts (methanol, chloroform extract, and positive control) was 97.064 µM Fe²⁺ equivalents, 117.662 µM Fe²⁺ equivalents, and 53.384 µM Fe²⁺ equivalents, respectively. In the extracts of the plant inoculated with endophytic fungus, rutin and syringic acid (polyphenols) concentrations were 20.8793 mg/L and 5.4389 mg/L, respectively, which were higher than in the control plant extracts. This approach can be further utilized for other medicinal plants to increase their phytochemical content and hence medicinal potential in a sustainable way. Full article

Tulsi (Holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Lamiaceae), native to Asia, has become globalised as the cultural, cosmetic, and medicinal uses of the herb have been popularised. DNA barcoding, a molecular technique used to identify species based on short regions of DNA, can discriminate between different species and identify contaminants and adulterants. This study aimed to explore the values associated with Tulsi in the United Kingdom (UK) and authenticate samples using DNA barcoding. A mixed methods approach was used, incorporating social research (i.e., structured interviews) and DNA barcoding of Ocimum samples using the ITS and trnH-psbA barcode regions. Interviews revealed the cultural significance of Tulsi: including origins, knowledge exchange, religious connotations, and medicinal uses. With migration, sharing of plants and seeds has been seen as Tulsi plants are widely grown in South Asian (SA) households across the UK. Vouchered Ocimum specimens (n = 33) were obtained to create reference DNA barcodes which were not available in databases. A potential species substitution of O. gratissimum instead of O. tenuiflorum amongst SA participants was uncovered. Commercial samples (n = 47) were difficult to authenticate, potentially due to DNA degradation during manufacturing processes. This study highlights the cultural significance of Tulsi, despite a potential species substitution, the plant holds a prestigious place amongst SA families in the UK. DNA barcoding was a reliable way to authenticate Ocimum species. Full article

In the present study, the anti-diabetic potential of Ocimum tenuiflorum was investigated using computational techniques for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and glycation at multiple stages. It aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which phytocompounds of O. tenuiflorum treat diabetes mellitus using concepts of druglikeness and pharmacokinetics, molecular docking simulations, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy studies. Isoeugenol is a phenylpropene, propenyl-substituted guaiacol found in the essential oils of plants. During molecular docking modelling, isoeugenol was found to inhibit all the target enzymes, with a higher binding efficiency than standard drugs. Furthermore, molecular dynamic experiments revealed that isoeugenol was more stable in the binding pockets than the standard drugs used. Since our aim was to discover a single lead molecule with a higher binding efficiency and stability, isoeugenol was selected. In this context, our study stands in contrast to other computational studies that report on more than one compound, making it difficult to offer further analyses. To summarize, we recommend isoeugenol as a potential widely employed lead inhibitor of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and glycation based on the results of our in silico studies, therefore revealing a novel phytocompound for the effective treatment of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus. Full article

Diabetes mellitus is a major global health concern in the current scenario which is chiefly characterized by the rise in blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia. In the context, DPP4 enzyme plays a critical role in glucose homeostasis. DPP4 targets and inactivates incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) as physiological substrates, which are essential to regulate the amount of insulin that is secreted after eating. Since the inactivation of incretins occurs, the hyperglycemic conditions continue to rise, and result in adverse physiological conditions linked with diabetes mellitus. Hence, inhibition of DPP4 has been the center of focus in the present antidiabetic studies. Although few DPP4 inhibitor drugs, such as alogliptin, saxagliptin, linagliptin, and sitagliptin, are available, their adverse effects on human metabolism are undeniable. Therefore, it becomes essential for the phytochemical intervention of the disease using computational methods prior to performing in vitro and in vivo studies. In this regard, we used an in-silico approach involving molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy calculations to investigate the inhibitory potential of Ocimum tenuiflorum phytocompounds against DPP4. In this regard, three phytocompounds (1S-α-pinene, β-pinene, and dehydro-p-cymene) from O. tenuiflorum have been discovered as the potential inhibitors of the DPP4 protein. To summarize, from our in-silico experiment outcomes, we propose dehydro-p-cymene as the potential lead inhibitor of DPP4 protein, thereby discovering new a phytocompound for the effective management of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus. The reported compound can be taken for in vitro and in vivo analyses in near future. Full article

Herbal drugs are increasingly becoming a viable alternative to allopathic medicine. Since powdered herbal drugs are more prone to adulteration than intact plant parts, their authentication becomes essential to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. This study authenticated 107 single-drug herbal powders, representing 65 species from 60 genera and 35 families, collected from the markets in Tamil Nadu, India. DNA barcoding using the rbcL marker revealed that 58 samples (54%) were authentic, and 49 (46%) were adulterant. About 41% of the adulterant samples were a mixture of more than one species, possibly due to unintentional cross-contamination during processing. In 59% of the adulterant samples, the authentic species was entirely substituted with taxonomically and medicinally unrelated species, 72% of which belonged to different orders and families, while 28% were from other genera. Despite the taxonomic diversity, 20% of adulterant spe, cies had a morphological resemblance to the authentic species. It is not known whether their use as adulterants is intentional. In a detailed study on DNA barcoding of 17 powder samples from Ocimum tenuiflorum, 88% of the samples were authentic. These results indicate that the extent of adulteration is not high in all the species. Approximately, 95% of the samples collected for this study were produced by companies with limited resources and expertise in the unorganized sector. Hence, training them on species identification and providing simple and cost-effective authentication tools will likely reduce adulteration in the market samples. Full article

Mastitis is the most prevalent global illness affecting dairy cows. This bacterial infection damages and inflames the udder tissues. Several plant extracts have demonstrated synergistic antibacterial activities with standard drugs in mastitis treatment. Scant information exists on Ocimum tenuiflorum L. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of O. tenuiflorum extract and its interaction with antibacterial drugs against common mastitis pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS), Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli. Anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells were also studied. The O. tenuiflorum extract exhibited antibacterial activities against S. aureus, CNS, and S. agalactiae with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 3.9 to 31.2 µg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranging from 15.6 to 500 µg/mL. Combinations of O. tenuiflorum with penicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid showed synergistic effects against all tested strains but an additive effect with cefazolin and gentamicin. Pretreatment of the extract significantly decreased the expression of inflammatory molecules (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2) generated by LPS in macrophages. Results suggested O. tenuiflorum effectiveness against various Gram-positive mastitis bacteria, with the potential to reduce antibacterial doses and combat inflammation. Full article