- Source: Ocimum gratissimum
Ocimum gratissimum, also known as clove basil, African basil, and in Hawaii as wild basil, is a species of basil. It is native to Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, and the Bismarck Archipelago, and naturalized in Polynesia, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, West Indies, Brazil, and Bolivia.
Other names
O. gratissimum is a common culinary herb in West Africa and is used by some in the Caribbean, going by many local names, even in the Indian subcontinent.
Ebe-amwonkho in Edo
Tchayo in Fon
Dogosui in Ewe
Efirin in Yoruba
Tamwṍtswã́gi in Nupe
Ajuntita in Ikwerre
Nchanwu in Igbo
Kpan-sroh in Irigwe
Añyeba in Igala
Daidoya in Hausa
Nchuanwu also Arimu in Igbo
Ntong in Ibibio, Efik
Kunudiri in Kirikeni Okuein
Nunum in Akan
Nunu Bush in Jamaica (from the Akan language)
Yerba di holé in Papiamento
Fobazen in Haiti
Scent leaves in Nigeria (the standardised Nigerian English rendering) and in the African diaspora
Mujaaja in Uganda
Vaayinta (వాయింట) in Telugu
Maduruthala in Sri Lanka මදුරුතලා
Kattutulasi(കാട്ടുതുളസി), Kattu Thrithaav (കാട്ടു തൃത്താവ്) in Kerala
Bai yeera in Thai ใบยี่หร่า
Rehani in Georgian რეჰანი
Van Tulsi (વન તુલસી) in Gujarati
Tomka leaf (তোমকা/তোমহা পাতা) in chittagoneon Bangla
Awromangnrin in Baoulé
Kungurekwu u tamen in Tiv
ደማከሴ (Demakese) in Ethiopia
= Uses
=In Nigeria, scent leave is used in making pepper soup, local rice, beans, plantain, even regular soup, and other delicacies.
Seed germination
Seeds seem to need strong sunlight to germinate, although germination has been achieved even during an average UK summer.
Phytochemical compounds
The phytochemicals present in Ocimum gratissimum contains polyphenols such as Gallic acid, Rosmanol, rosmarinic acid, flavonoids such as Nepetrin, Quercetin, Rutin,
Catechin, and also alkaloids and terpenoids. Naringin, uteolin, Apigenin, Nepetoidin, Nevadensin, Hymenoxin, Salvigenin, Apigenin, 7,4,′-dimethyl ether, Basilimoside, 2alpha, 3 beta-Dihydroxyolean- 12en-28-oic acid, Methyl acetate, Oleanolic acid
Pharmacology of extracts and essential oils
The essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum contains eugenol and shows some evidence of antibacterial activity. The essential oil has potential for use as a food preservative, and is toxic to Leishmania.
Insect repellent
O. gratissimum repels the thrips Thrips tabaci, and so is a useful insect repellent in other crops.
References
External links
Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Ocimum gratissimum". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Selasih mekah
- Selasih
- Timol
- Ocimum gratissimum
- Ocimum
- Ocimum tenuiflorum
- Basil
- List of culinary herbs and spices
- Eugenol
- Acalypha wilkesiana
- Citral
- Ocimum basilicum var. minimum
- Thymol
