The efficacy and effects of holy basil

When it comes to holy basil, we are all familiar with it. Holy basil is not only edible but also has very high medicinal effects. Eating holy basil regularly can have very good health-preserving and health-care effects.

【Other names】 Holy basil, basil

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb with roots of the holy basil plant of the Lamiaceae family.

[Original form] Holy basil, semi-shrub, up to 1m tall. The stem is erect, woody at the base, and covered with sparse, soft hairs. Leaves are opposite, petioles are 1-2.5cm long, covered with sparse, flat, soft hairs; leaf blades are oblong, 2.5-5.5cm long, 1-3cm wide, obtuse at the apex, cuneate or nearly circular at the base, with shallow wavy serrations on the margins, and covered with fine soft hairs and glandular dots on both sides. The cyme usually has 6 flowers, forming an interval raceme, 6-8cm long, terminal and axillary, covered with sparse flat pubescence; bracts are cordate, with abrupt short acuminate at the apex, shallowly cordate at the base, and pubescent outside; calyx is bell-shaped, 2.5mm long, covered with pubescence and glandular dots outside, with 5 calyx teeth, 3 teeth on the upper lip, the largest middle tooth, flat and broadly ovate, with abrupt and uniform apex, slightly decurrent at the margin, lateral teeth broadly triangular, with apex slightly prickly, lower lip 2 teeth, lanceolate, apex prickly, calyx enlarged when fruiting, up to 6mm long; corolla white or pink, about 3mm long, lip slightly pubescent outside, upper lip wide, 4-lobed, lower lip oblong; stamens 4, didynamous, extending out of the corolla for one year; ovary 4-lobed, style exceeding stamens, stigma 2-lobed; disk with 4 teeth. The nutlets are oval, brown, with glandular pits and a small white navel at the base. The flowering period is from February to June, and the fruiting period is from March to August.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: grows on dry sandy grassland.

[Chemical composition] The leaves contain carotene (β-carotene), steroids, fatty acids and essential oils, mainly eugenol, methyl eugenol, caryophyllene and ursolic acid.

[Pharmacological action] Ursolic acid isolated from the leaves was pre-administered at doses of 1 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, and 100 mg/ml. It had a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the degranulation of mesenteric macrophages induced by compound 48-80, and also had a similar inhibitory effect on the release of peritoneal macrophages. Therefore, the compound may have anti-allergic effects. The essential oils obtained from different parts showed strong antibacterial and antifungal activities in tests against 6 fungi and 4 bacteria. Among them, eugenol and methyl eugenol have stronger antimicrobial effects.

【Functions and indications】Analgesic and antiasthmatic. Main headache; asthma

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3-9g; or grind into powder.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

After understanding some of the effects and common knowledge of holy basil, I hope that everyone can use scientific methods in the process of consumption to make it play a greater role.