Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Review Article
1* 2
Govind Pandey and Madhuri S.
1
Ex-Professor of Pharmacology (Pharmacy); presently, Officer-In-Charge of Rinder Pest (Veterinary / Animal Husbandry
Dept., Govt. of MP), Jabalpur Division, Jabalpur, MP, India.
2
Assistant Professor of Zoology & Biotechnology, NES College of Science & Commerce, Jabalpur, India.
*Corresponding authors E-mail: drgovindpandey@yahoo.co.in, drgovindpandey@rediffmail.com
humoral immune response in albino rats which could be significantly. Hence, OS can be employed in the treatment
attributed to such mechanisms as antibody production, of cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's
release of mediators of hypersensitivity reactions and disease42.
tissues responses to these mediators in the target
35 Hepatoprotective activity: Oral administration of
organs . OS seed oil appears to modulate both humoral
hydroethanolic extract of OS leaves @ 200 mg/kg in male
and cell-mediated immune responsiveness and GABAergic
Wistar albino rats gave protection against liver injury
pathways may mediate these immunomodulatory
induced by paracetamol43. The cold water extract (3g/100
effects36.
g, orally for 6 days) of OS was found to be effective
Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant activity: The against carbon tetrachloride (0.2 ml/100 g,
44
AlE of OS prolonged the time of lost reflex in mice due to subcutaneously) induced liver damage in albino rats .
pentobarbital (40 mg/kg, ip), decreased the recovery time
Antifertility activity: Benzene extract of fresh OS leaves in
and severity of electroshock and pentylenetetrazole-
male rats showed decreased total sperm count, sperm
induced convulsions. It also decreased apomorphine 45
motility and weight of testis . The long term feeding (up
induced fighting time and ambulation in "open field"
to 3 months) of OS leaves (200 and 400 mg/kg) to adult
trials. At high doses, OS extract increased swimming time
male and female albino rats along with normal diet
suggesting a CNS stimulant and/or antistress activity. The
decreased sperm count, sperm motility and weight of
effect was comparable to that of desipramine, an
37 male reproductive organs46.
antidepressant drug . OS fixed oil (2-3 ml/kg, ip) has
29
been reported to increase pentobarbitone-induced Antidiabetic activity: Oral administration of OS extract
sleeping time in rats. The inhibition of hepatic metabolism led to marked lowering of blood sugar in normal, glucose-
of pentobarbitone / renal clearance by fixed oil could be fed hyperglycemic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic
responsible for potentiation of pentobarbitone-induced rats47. A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross over
sleeping time. single blind human trial indicated a significant decrease in
fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels by 17.6%
Antiinflammatory activity: Methanolic extract (500
and 7.3%, respectively. Urine glucose levels showed a
mg/kg) and aqueous suspension of OS showed analgesic,
similar trend48. Further, OS has aldose reductase activity,
antipyretic and antiinflammatory effects in acute
which may help in reducing the complications of diabetes
(carrageenan-induced pedal oedema) and chronic (croton
such as cataract, retinopathy, etc.49
oil induced granuloma and exudate formation)
inflammations in rats38. The fixed oil and linolenic acid Antiulcer activity: The fixed oil of OS administered
possess significant antiinflammatory activity against PGE2, intraperitoneally elicited significant antiulcer activity
leukotriene and arachidonic acid induced paw oedema in against aspirin, indomethacin, alcohol (ethanol 50%),
rats by virtue of their capacity to block both the histamine, reserpine, serotonin or stress-induced ulcers in
cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of rats41. The fixed oil significantly possessed antiulcer
arachidonic acid metabolism39. activity due to its lipoxygenase inhibitory, histamine
antagonistic and antisecretory effects50.
Analgesic activity: The OS oil was found to be devoid of
analgesic activity in experimental pain models (tail flick, Antiarthritic activity: The antiarthritic activity of OS fixed
tail clip and tail immersion methods). However, it was oil was evaluated against formaldehyde-induced arthritis
effective against acetic acid induced writhing method in in rats. The fixed oil significantly reduced the diameter of
mice in a dose dependent manner. The writhing inhibiting inflamed paw. On intraperitoneal administration of the
activity of the oil is suggested to be peripherally mediated fixed oil daily for 10 days, there was marked improvement
due to combined inhibitory effects of prostaglandins, in the arthritic conditions in rats. The antiarthritic effect
40
histamine and acetylcholine . at 3 ml/kg dose was comparable to aspirin @ 100 mg/kg,
41
ip . The fixed oil inhibited carrageenan and inflammatory
Antipyretic activity: The antipyretic activity of OS fixed oil
mediators (e.g., serotonin, histamine, bradykinin and
was evaluated by testing it against typhoid-paratyphoid
PGE2) induced inflammation. It is natural that the oil could
A/B vaccine-induced pyrexia in rats. The oil on ip
inhibit any inflammatory response involving these
administration considerably reduced the febrile response
mediators. The result suggests potentially useful
indicating its antipyretic activity. At a dose of 3 ml/kg, the
antiarthritic activity of the inflammation models,
antipyretic activity of the oil was comparable to aspirin.
including adjuvant as well as turpentine oil-induced joint
Further, the fixed oil possessed prostaglandin inhibitory
oedema in rats51.
activity and the same could explain its antipyretic
41
activity . Adaptogenic activity/antistress activity: The
immunostimulant capacity of OS may be responsible for
Memory enhancer activity: The AlE of dried whole plant 52
the adaptogenic action of plant . The AlE of OS whole
of OS ameliorated the amnesic effect of scopolamine (0.4
plant increased the physical endurance (survival time) of
mg/kg) and aging-induced memory deficits in mice.
swimming mice, prevented stress induced ulcers and milk
Passive avoidance paradigm served as the exteroceptive
induced leucocytosis, respectively in rats and mice,
behavioural model. OS extract increased step-down
indicating induction of non-specifically increased
latency (SDL) and acetylcholinesterase inhibition
International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Page 63
Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net
Volume 5, Issue 1, November December 2010; Article-009 ISSN 0976 044X
resistance against a variety of stress induced biological 11. Pandey Govind, Madhuri S. Autochthonous herbal
changes by OS in animals53. products in the treatment of cancer. Phytomedica
7:2006,99-104.
Anticataract activity: The AqE of fresh leaves of OS
delayed the process of cataractogenesis in experimental 12. Pandey Govind, Madhuri S. Medicinal plants: Better
models of cataract (galactosemic cataract in rats by 30% remedy for neoplasm. Indian Drug 43(11):2006,869-
galactose and naphthalene cataract in rabbits by 1 g/kg 874.
naphthalene). OS 1 and 2 g/kg delayed the onset as well
13. Kathiresan K, Guanasekan P, Rammurthy N,
as subsequent maturation of cataract significantly in both
Govidswami S. Anticancer activity of Ocimum
the models3.
sanctum. Pharmaceutical Biology 37(4):1999,285-
Anticoagulant activity: The OS fixed oil (3 ml/kg, ip) 290.
prolonged blood clotting time and the response was
14. Aruna K, Sivaramakrishnan VM. Anticarcinogenic
comparable to that obtained with aspirin (100 mg/kg).
effects of some Indian plants products. Food Chem
The effect appears to be due to the antiaggregator action
Toxicol 30:1992,953.
of oil on platelets29.
15. Uma Devi P. Radioprotective, anticarcinogenic and
Toxicity: The median lethal dose (LD50) of OS fixed oil was
antioxidant properties of the Indian holy basil,
determined after ip administration in mice. The fixed oil
Ocimum sanctum (Tulasi). Indian J Exp Biol
was well tolerated up to 30 ml/kg, while 100% mortality
39:2001,185-190.
was recorded with a dose of 55 ml/kg. The LD50 of oil was
42.5 ml/kg. There was found no untoward effect on 16. Prashar R, Kumar A, Banerjee S, Rao AR.
subacute toxicity study of OS fixed oil at a dose of 3 ml/ Chemopreventive action by an extract from Ocimum
kg/day, ip for 14 days in rats41. sanctum on mouse skin papillomagenesis and its
enhancement of skin glutathione-S-transferase
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