article · Molecules
Essential oil and aqueous extracts from sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, possess multiple biological activities relevant to health and disease management. Chemical profiling demonstrates that methyl chavicol and trans-anethole constitute the vast majority of the essential oil. Laboratory assays reveal potent antibacterial action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Furthermore, the essential oil suppresses the key carbohydrate-digesting enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, showing promise for blood sugar management. Both extracts display anti-inflammatory and skin-protective qualities by inhibiting lipoxygenase and tyrosinase enzymes, respectively, with the essential oil demonstrating consistently higher potency than the aqueous extract. Toxicological assessments confirm safety in both acute and chronic evaluations, while computational screening validates the pharmacokinetic profiles and antibacterial targets of the main constituent compounds.
Bacterial resistance, chronic inflammation, and metabolic disorders like diabetes represent major public health challenges requiring diverse therapeutic tools. Identifying safe, plant-derived substances with multi-target biological activity provides a foundation for developing natural treatments. Because sweet basil demonstrates antibacterial, enzyme-inhibiting, and protective qualities alongside an established safety profile, it offers a versatile natural candidate for functional healthcare and skincare developments.
The identified activities suggest applications in skincare formulations, natural antimicrobial preservatives, and supportive antidiabetic nutraceuticals. Product formulators and pharmaceutical developers could explore these extracts as active ingredients. However, the research is at an early, laboratory-based stage, relying primarily on in vitro enzyme assays, bacterial culture testing, and computational modelling. Substantial in vivo validation and clinical testing will be necessary before commercial products can be realised.
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This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) of Ocimum basilicum L., as well as to evaluate the antibacterial, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties, and the EOs and aqueous extracts of O. basilicum. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against bacterial strains, Gram-positive and Gram-negative, using the well diffusion and microdilution methods, whereas the antidiabetic activity was assessed in vitro using two enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. On the other hand, the dermatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities were studied by testing tyrosinase and lipoxygenase inhibition activity, respectively. The results showed that the chemical composition of O. basilicum EO (OBEO) is dominated by methyl chavicol (86%) and trans-anethol (8%). OBEO exhibited significant antibacterial effects against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains, demonstrated by considerable diameters of the inhibition zones and lower MIC and MBC values. In addition, OBEO exhibited significant inhibition of α-amylase (IC50 = 50.51 ± 0.32 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 39.84 ± 1.2 μg/mL). Concerning the anti-inflammatory activity, OBEO significantly inhibited lipoxygenase activity (IC50 = 18.28 ± 0.03 μg/mL) compared to the aqueous extract (IC50 = 24.8 ± 0.01 μg/mL). Moreover, tyrosinase was considerably inhibited by OBEO (IC50 = 68.58 ± 0.03 μg/mL) compared to the aqueous extract (IC50 = 118.37 ± 0.05 μg/mL). The toxicological investigations revealed the safety of O. basilicum in acute and chronic toxicity. The finding of in silico analysis showed that methyl chavicol and trans-anethole (main compounds of OBEO) validate the pharmacokinetics of these compounds and decipher some antibacterial targets.
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DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020614
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