Ocimum gratissimum, also known as clove basil or African basil, is a plant with high concentrations of eugenol, a phenylpropene compound that has been found to have antibacterial qualities. Studies have confirmed its effectiveness in treating various conditions, including diarrhea and other gastrointestinal infections, as well as fighting invasive bacteria. Its essential oil is also being studied as a pain reliever.
Basil is not just a kitchen herb used in numerous culinary creations. One variety, called Ocimum gratissimum, which comes from Africa and grows in Hawaii and other tropical regions, also has a reputation for health benefits. Widely known as clove basil or African basil, this plant is used by herbalists to treat a variety of ailments, from bacterial infections and diabetes to pain and liver damage.
Several studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Ocimum gratissimum in treating various conditions after it has been condensed into an essential oil. This is largely attributed to the plant’s high concentrations of a phenylpropene compound called eugenol. Other plants that contain this chemical agent are cloves of the Syzygium aromaticum species and cinnamon; Nutmeg; star anise; dill; sweet basil, or Ocimum basilicum; and holy basil, or Ocimum tenuiflorum.
The antibacterial qualities of Ocimum gratissimum are perhaps the most studied and verified. There have been several studies that lend credence to the herbal use of this plant for the treatment of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal infections. A joint study conducted in 1999 by the universities of the West Indies and Nigeria found that the leaf extract provided relief from diarrhea in laboratory mice and guinea pigs. Another study, published in 2002 by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, found that the essential oil relaxed the small intestines in laboratory mice, claiming that the plant is beneficial in relieving gastrointestinal distress.
Studies suggest that Ocimum gratissimum effectively fights several types of invasive bacteria. These range from shigella and salmonella to strains of escherichia and proteus. The oils of the plant were also effective in fighting strains of E. coli, dysentery and typhoid. Some research also confirms that clove basil is effective in treating various veterinary problems, from killing worms in goats to boosting libido in lab rats. Some even use the oil as an aromatic, but deadly mosquito repellent.
Other uses of Ocimum gratissimum are still being studied as of 2011, most notably the use of the essential oil as an analgesic or pain reliever. While the plant is not used alone in providing this relief, it has shown success when administered in unison with other proven antibacterial and anti-inflammatory herbal agents from Africa. These include plants such as Gongronema latifolium, which, in Ghana, is called nsurogya, or ‘not afraid of fire’, and Vernonia amygdalina, which is widely known as bitter leaf.
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