Tulsi - Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) - with aromatic blue-violet flowers.
Some of the phytochemical constituents of tulsi are:
- oleanolic acid,
- ursolic acid,
- rosmarinic acid,
- eugenol,
- carvacrol,
- linalool, and
- β-caryophyllene (about 8%).
Tulsi is a sacred plant in Hinduism.
Of all the herbs used within Ayurveda, tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn) is preeminent, and scientific research is now confirming its beneficial effects. <...> Tulsi has been found to protect organs and tissues against chemical stress from industrial pollutants and heavy metals, and physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint and exposure to cold and excessive noise. Tulsi has also been shown to counter metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function and through its anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties. Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which includes activity against a range of human and animal pathogens, suggests it can be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash and water purifier as well as in animal rearing, wound healing, the preservation of food stuffs and herbal raw materials and traveler's health.
