Holy Basil
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a plant drug, from the Lamiaceae family. Eugenol is rapidly absorbed (Tmax ~1 hour) with moderate bioavailability. Rosmarinic acid shows ~1-2% bioavailability but significant first-pass metabolism.
| Botanical name | Ocimum tenuiflorum |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Also known as | Holy Basil, HolyBasil |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 2927100 · NCBI Taxonomy 204149 |
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2020 to 2024, every one with a DOI.
- 4Other clinical studies and reviews
- 8Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
This entry and tulsi describe the same drug, Ocimum tenuiflorum, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Holy Basil |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Capsule, Tablet, Swarasa (fresh juice), Arka (distillate), Essential oil, Tea/infusion, Tincture, Soft gel
Standard Dosage: 300-600mg standardized extract twice daily; 3-5g dried leaf powder daily; 5-10ml fresh juice; 2-3 cups tea infusion daily
Optimal Timing: Morning on empty stomach for adaptogenic effect; with meals for digestive support; as tea throughout the day
Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C, protected from light. Essential oil in amber glass, sealed tightly. Dried herb in airtight containers to preserve volatile content.
Marker Compounds: Eugenol, Rosmarinic acid, Ursolic acid, Oleanolic acid, Ocimumosides A and B, Apigenin, Luteolin, Beta-caryophyllene
Synergistic Combinations
- With Ashwagandha for adaptogenic and anti-stress synergy
- With Brahmi for cognitive enhancement
- With Guduchi for immune modulation
- With Honey as traditional Anupana
- With Pippali for respiratory support
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Other clinical studies and reviews4
- 2024. Ayurvedic Herbal Medicines: A Literature Review of Their Applications in Female Reproductive HealthCureus. PMID 38558676 · doi:10.7759/cureus.55240
- 2024. A Comprehensive Review of the Phytochemical Constituents and Bioactivities of Ocimum tenuiflorumTheScientificWorldJournal. PMID 39473808 · doi:10.1155/2024/8895039
- 2023. A Glance at the Phytochemical and Ethno-pharmacological Understanding of Four Ocimum SpeciesCurrent pharmaceutical biotechnology. PMID 36200220 · doi:10.2174/1389201023666221003102423
- 2022. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract (Holixer(TM)) on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stressFrontiers in nutrition. PMID 36185698 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.965130
Laboratory and animal studies8
- 2024. Antifungal Activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Ocimum gratissimum Herbal Formulation-Based Oral Rinse Against Candida albicansCureus. PMID 39290920 · doi:10.7759/cureus.67111
- 2024. Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Ocimum tenuiflorum and Ocimum gratissimum Herbal FormulationsCureus. PMID 38550426 · doi:10.7759/cureus.54994
- 2024. Bioactive compounds from Ocimum tenuiflorum and Poria cocos: A novel natural Compound for insomnia treatment based on A computational approachComputers in biology and medicine. PMID 38657467 · doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108491
- 2023. Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Stevia rebaudiana-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles - An In vitro StudyContemporary clinical dentistry. PMID 37547431 · doi:10.4103/ccd.ccd_369_21
- 2023. Ocimum tenuiflorum extract (HOLIXERTM): Possible effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in modulating stressPloS one. PMID 37141281 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285012
- 2022. Antimicrobial efficiency of Tinospora cordifolia and Ocimum tenuiflorum against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicansJournal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFP. PMID 37082076 · doi:10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_68_22
- 2022. Synergistic Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Ocimum tenuiflorum Ethanolic Extract against Major Bacterial Mastitis PathogensAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35453261 · doi:10.3390/antibiotics11040510
- 2020. Dynamic modelling of growth and flavonoid production from Ocimum tenuiflorum suspension cultureBioprocess and biosystems engineering. PMID 32596769 · doi:10.1007/s00449-020-02394-6
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
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