Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical and Antibacterial Studies on the Leaves of Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn. in Cuba

Abstract

Towards authentication and quality assurance of medicinal plants, pharmacognostic, physicochemical, phytochemical and preliminary antibacterial studies of the leaves of Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn, were carried out. The macroscopic evaluation revealed characters that are of diagnostic value and useful in authentication of the plant. The physicochemical analyses reveals values for moisture content (12.46 %), alcohol extractive (0.5 %), and total ash (11.5 %) which are within the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for crude drug from medicinal plants, except the last one. Phytochemical screening for secondary metabolites revealed the presence of fats, alkaloids, saponins, triterpens/steroids, reductants sugars, flavonoids, free aminoacids or amines, quinones, anthocyanins and mucilage, and phenolic compounds, while resins and balsams, coumarins and tannins were absent. Information obtained from these studies can be used as markers in the identification and standardization of this plant as a herbal remedy and also towards monograph development on the plant.