dear herb.
← search the archive
botanical illustration of Holy Basil, Ocimum sanctum

botanical record · discovered

Holy Basil

Ocimum sanctum

Holy Basil · Tulsi

At a glance

Origin / distribution: India(Santal), Malaya, Nepal, Curacao, Kemangi, Philippines, India, East Indies

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Ache(Ear), Ache(Stomach), Bactericide, Bite(Dog)

Science studied: ALDEHYDES, ALKALOIDS, ASCORBIC-ACID, ASH

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Lamiaceae

Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum

Common names: Holy Basil, Tulsi

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, India(Santal), Malaya, Nepal, Curacao, Kemangi, Philippines, India and 4 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

  • Ache(Ear)
  • Ache(Stomach)
  • Bactericide
  • Bite(Dog)
  • Bronchitis
  • Catarrh
  • Cholera
  • Cold
show 37 more documented entries
  • Collapse
  • Collyrium
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Cough
  • Demulcent
  • Diaphoretic
  • Expectorant
  • Febrifuge
  • Fever
  • Gastritis
  • Gastrosis
  • Gravel
  • Hemiplegia
  • Hemorrhage
  • Insecticide
  • Lactagogue
  • Laxative
  • Ophthalmia
  • Parturition
  • Puerperium
  • Rabies
  • Ringworm
  • Skin
  • Tumor(Abdomen)
  • Urogenital
  • Repellant(Insect)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Anasarca
  • Bite(Snake)
  • Dropsy
  • Labor
  • Malaria
  • Nausea
  • Rheumatism
  • Septicemia
  • Stimulant
  • Tumor

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

  • Elsewhere
  • India(Santal)
  • Malaya
  • Nepal
  • Curacao
  • Kemangi
  • Philippines
  • India
  • East Indies
  • CO
  • MH
  • TW

Documented cultural uses

  • Ache(Ear)
  • Ache(Stomach)
  • Bactericide
  • Bite(Dog)
  • Bronchitis
  • Catarrh
  • Cholera
  • Cold
  • Collapse
  • Collyrium
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Cough
show 33 more documented entries
  • Demulcent
  • Diaphoretic
  • Expectorant
  • Febrifuge
  • Fever
  • Gastritis
  • Gastrosis
  • Gravel
  • Hemiplegia
  • Hemorrhage
  • Insecticide
  • Lactagogue
  • Laxative
  • Ophthalmia
  • Parturition
  • Puerperium
  • Rabies
  • Ringworm
  • Skin
  • Tumor(Abdomen)
  • Urogenital
  • Repellant(Insect)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Anasarca
  • Bite(Snake)
  • Dropsy
  • Labor
  • Malaria
  • Nausea
  • Rheumatism
  • Septicemia
  • Stimulant
  • Tumor

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

  • Phenylalanine-inducible OscWRKY7 regulates arogenate dehydratase-5 to alter phenylpropanoid metabolism in Ocimum sanctum. · 2026 source ↗
  • Evaluation of radical scavenging and antibacterial potency of leaf extracts from indigenous species of Cinnamomum tamala and Ocimum sanctum · 2026 source ↗
  • Evaluation of radical scavenging and antibacterial potency of leaf extracts from indigenous species of Cinnamomum tamala and Ocimum sanctum. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

  • ALDEHYDES
  • ALKALOIDS
  • ASCORBIC-ACID
  • ASH
  • BETA-CAROTENE
  • CINEOLE
  • EO
  • EUGENOL
  • EUGENOL-METHYL-ETHER
  • FAT
  • GLYCOSIDES
  • HEXOURONIC-ACID
  • LINALOL
  • LINOLEIC-ACID
  • LINOLENIC-ACID
  • METHYL-CHAVICOL
show 13 more documented entries
  • MUCILAGE
  • OLEIC-ACID
  • PALMITIC-ACID
  • PENTOSES
  • PHENOLS
  • PROTEIN
  • SAPONINS
  • BETA-SITOSTEROL
  • TANNIN
  • XYLOSE
  • ANTISTAPHYLOCOAGULASE
  • CARVACROL
  • STEARIC-ACID

Legality

Country-specific legal status is not documented in this record.

Consult the CITES species checklist for international trade protections and listings. This is not a complete statement of local law.

Reference images

Ocimum sanctum
Ocimum sanctum · Joydeep

Sources

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0

show claim source mapping
  • identity · DH-SRC-0030
  • documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
  • compounds · DH-SRC-0030
  • taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

No published revisions are documented for this record. Community submissions enter review and retain attribution before any published change.

Dear Herb is a living journal of botanical knowledge. Its records grow through research, historical discovery, and community contributions.

add knowledgesuggest correctionadd source