Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTIC & PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF OCIMUM SANCTUM (ROOT) WITH INVITRO ANTIOXIDANT & ANTIARTHRITIC ACTIVITY

Rameshwar Kumar*, Safadar Hasan Qureshi, Dr. Yogesh Shivhare and Dr. Pratyush Jain

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Abstract

Humans have relied on nature for their easy necessities as being the sources for drug treatments, shelters, meals, fragrances, apparel, flavours, fertilisers and method of transportation. For the large proportions of global‟s populace medicinal plants retain a dominant role in the healthcare gadget and this is in particular proper in developing international locations, where herbal remedy has non-stop history of lengthy use. The improvement and popularity of medicinal and economic aids of those flora are on rise in each industrialised and growing nation (WHO, 1998). The rules of regular traditional systems of drugs for heaps of years which have been in life have formed from flora. The flowers remain to provide mankind with new drugs. some of the beneficial properties ascribed to plant life have been known to be incorrect and medicinal plant treatment is based totally on the experimental findings of loads to thousands of years. The earliest reports carved on clay pills in cuneiform date from about 2600 BC are from Mesopotamia; many of the substances that have been used were oils of Commiphora species (Myrrh), Cedrus species (Cedar), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), Papaver somniferum (Poppy juice) and Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) are nonetheless used today for the treatment of diseases extending from colds and coughs to irritation and parasitic infections (Fakim, 2006). Ocimum sanctum, popularly known as Tulsi, is one of the sacred annual herbs belonging to the genus Ocimum and mint family Lamiaceae. Tulsi is a native of Iran, Afghanistan and India (Zargari, 1990; Mirhaidar, 1990; Volak and Jiri, 1997 and Mann et al. 2000). Tulsi is believed to be the “Queen of Herbs”(Verma, 2016). It is the most therapeutic herb distributed mainly in all regions of India (Jeba et al. 2011).

Keywords: Ocimum sanctum, Tulsi, Myrrh, Cedar, Cypress, Lamiaceae, drugs, Licorice, flora.