Introduction
Basil, Ocimum basilicum, also called “sweet basil”, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is an annual aromatic herb with heights ranging from approximately 30 to 150 cm. Its leaves are oval, pointed, and opposite, and in most varieties, they are green, reaching approximately 11 cm in length and 8 cm in width. The flowers are predominantly white but can be other colours, such as pink and purple. Each herb can have up to approximately 50 inflorescences, reaching about 19 cm in length. The clove scent of sweet basil is derived from eugenol. The aroma of basil includes 1,8-cineole and methyl eugenol.
It has a rich historical background in traditional medicine. It has been revered for its therapeutic properties since ancient times. In Greek, it’s often referred to as the “king of herbs,” highlighting its esteemed status.
Basil has been an integral part of various traditional medical systems such as Unani and Ayurveda. Basil is known to possess analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, cardiac stimulant, chemomodulatory, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, and larvicidal activities.
Phenylpropanoids (methyl chavicol, methyl eugenol, eugenol, methyl cinnamate), monoterpenoids (1,8-cineole, linalool, citral, camphor, thymol, geraniol, ocimenes), and sesquiterpenoids (β-caryophyllene, β-elemene, trans-α- bergamotene, β-bisabolene, (E)-α-bisabolene,) are the usual constituents that are found in the O. basilicum essential oils.
Importance of basil in veterinary sector
Anti-inflammatory activity:
The essential oil from basil (O. basilicum) combined with β-cyclodextrin shows anti-inflammatory effects. It helps to reduce inflammation in the body. Specifically, this combinationlimit the number of various types of white blood cells (lymphocytes, leukocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes) in the abdominal cavity during an acute inflammatory response. OBEO/β-CD complex is effective in controlling the body’s immune response during inflammation.
Immunomodulatory effect:
Compounds extracted from O. basilicum show immunomodulatory action happening in the cellular level. Constituent of O. basilicum reduce IL-4, IgE, PLA2 and TP levels, but enhance IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio and therefore affect lung pathological changes. The flavonoid content of this plant can produce a marked increase in percentage neutrophils adhesion to nylon fibers and phagocytic activity and show immunostimulant effect
Antimicrobial activity:
Essential oil of Ocimum basilica acts as natural antimicrobial in poultry farming. Effective against Klebsiella pneumonia, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabili, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), and Candida ablicans.
Antifungal activity:
Potential of Ocimum basilica may be related to inhibition of transformation into hyphae in yeast. Detoxification of Aflatoxins B1 and B2 produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus is seen by administration of aqueous extract of O. basilicum. It occurs due to removal of double bond in the terminal furan ring and modification of Lactone group which leads to less toxic products.
Anthelmintic activity:
Basil leaves contains flavonoid, phenol and tannin which interfere with the energy generation in helminth parasites such as Ascaris suum by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation and also bind to free proteins in the gastrointestinal tract of host animal or glycoprotein on the cuticle of the parasite and leading to death. The greater of the concentration and the longer of time of immersion, will make the death percentage of A. suum become higher. Concentration of basil leaves infusion 15% is the effective concentration that can kill 100% of the A.suum during 36 hours of immersion.
Antiviral activity:
Treatment of Bovine Viral diarrhoea- basil and its essential oils, known as monoterpenes has effects against BVD virus infection. The compound works directly on the particle of the virus based on the tremendous reduction of the virus in plaque assay.
As prebiotics and probiotics:
Feeding of basil (0.5g and 1g of oil/kg of feed) leads to improvement in the growth, FCR, economic efficiency, production index, immune response, carcass characteristics, general health of broiler chickens. Reduction in total bacterial count of Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Proteus spp. and increase in beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus.
Antioxidant potential:
Basil oil (BO) is a natural antioxidant including methyl chavicol (estragole), linalool, eugenol, and methyl cinnamate as main pharmacological constituents.
Microencapsulated basil oil(MBO) : encapsulated by anionic Sodium alginate(gastric acid juice resistant) and cationic Chitosan(intestinal juice resistant) for increasing it’s stability, bioavailability and controlled release of active ingredients. Methyl clavicol scavenges the radicals hence act as potential antioxidant and modifies jejunum histomorphology.
Supplementation of MBO can be considered as an alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoters(AGPs) with otherwise have negative effects.
Antiosteoporetic effect:
Aqueous extract of basil shows bone protection against glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis. The treatment with basil induced osteogenesis because it has a great number of compounds with oestrogenic activity and phytoestrogens perform their antiosteoporotic effect by stimulating osteoblastic activity through an estrogen receptor mediated action, or by increasing the production of insulin 1 like growth factor-1 (IG-F) which is known to enhance osteoblastic activity.
Obesity and hypertension:
Inhibitory effect of leaves extract of basil has 2 key enzymes, pancreatic lipase(PL) and angiotension-1 converting enzyme(ACE) which catalyzes obesity and obesity-related hypertension in vitro. O. basilica has major phenolic acids like Rutin, quercetin and quercitrin(flavonoids) which inhibits PL and ACE.
Anticancer activity: Essential oil of O. basilicum contains active phytocompound, estragole, shows potent EO-dependent in vitro anti colorectal carcinoma activity in high concentrations. It shows decreased viability and reduced the confluence, induced adopting specific nuclear features in CRC cells. These EOs have low impact on the chorioallantoic membrane which indicates high biosafety and tolerance profile in vascular plexus.
Bio-insecticide:
The volatile secondary metabolites extracted from of O. basilicum is used in insect pest management of red palm weevil(Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), bean weevil( Acanthoscelides obtectus), rice weevil(Sitophilus oryzae) and cotton bollworm(Helicoverpa armigera).
Anti-fibrotic activity:
Due to potent radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of O. basilicum, it’s aqueous extract has been found to possess potential hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects in different experimental models of liver toxicity and fibrosis.
Learning, memory, and hippocampal fatty acid composition in hypercholesterolemia:
Hypercholesterolemia is correlated with brain amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and impaired cognitive functions and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.Dill tablets and aqueous extract of basil attenuated the hypercholesterolemia-induced memory impairment by lowering serum cholesterol and hippocampus amyloid deposits, and probably beneficial in Alzheimer’s adjuvant therapy.
Anti-diabetic effect:
Fortification of dog diet with rosemary and basil leaves powder at 0.05% separately or 0.025% in combination might be used as promising modulators of blood glucose levels as well as clinico-nutritional management tools for the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus mainly Type-1 in dogs. Rosemary and basil possess antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic effects.
Increase estradiol and progesterone synthesis:
Treatment with basil extract for 20 days before mating, help the ovaries grow better and work more effectively by increasing the production of hormones like estradiol and progesterone. This enhance the growth and development of the uterus before mating. A healthy uterus environment during pregnancy positively influence how the genes of the embryos and fetuses are expressed. This lead to offspring that grow better and are healthier in both young and adult stages.
Larvicidal activity:
Nano-emulsification of O. basilicum essential oils has larvicidal effects against the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) due their constituents mainly linalool, eucalypol and eugenol. The essential oils of O. basilicum have repellant activities against female Anopheles, and could be used in the form of natural repellent cream.
Effects on reproductive hormones, semen parameters, and testicular development:
In male lambs, the dietary O. basilicum has positive impact on sperm quality and the concentration of certain reproductive hormones. Feeding lambs diets having 12.5 % and 25 % whole basil significantly increased blood testosterone concentrations and decreased cortisol levels. Diet supplementation with basil enhanced sperm concentration, motility, viability, and membrane integrity, while reducing sperm abnormalities and oxidative stress.
Acknowledgement:
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Biju Borah, PhD assistant professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education , Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science for providing me with the invaluable opportunity to publish this article .
References
Written by-
Chandralee Kalita
Third professional year, BVSc & AH,
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur, Assam.