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			{{Short description\|Species of flowering plant}}
	{{dablink\|This article is about Tulsi the plant (Holy Basil), and deity; for the musician see ]}}
			{{Redirect2\|Tulsi\|Tulasi\|other uses\|Tulsi (disambiguation)\|and\|Tulasi (disambiguation)}}
	{{Taxobox
			{{Redirect-distinguish\|Holy Basil\|holy herb}}
	\| color = lightgreen
			{{Speciesbox
	\| name = Tulsi
	\| image = ~~tulasi~~.~~gif~~		\| image = Tulsi or Tulasi Holy basil.jpg
	\| ~~image_width~~ = ~~240px~~		\| genus = Ocimum
	\| ~~regnum~~ = ~~]ae~~		\| species = tenuiflorum
			\| authority = ]<ref name="POWO"/>
	\| divisio = ]
			\| synonyms =
	\| classis = ]
			{{Species list
	\| ordo = ]
			\| Geniosporum tenuiflorum \| (L.) Merr.
	\| familia = ]
			\| Lumnitzera tenuiflora \| (L.) Spreng.
	\| genus = '']''
			\| Moschosma tenuiflorum \| (L.) Heynh.
	\| species = '''''O. tenuiflorum'''''
			\| Ocimum hirsutum \| Benth.
	\| binomial = ''Ocimum tenuiflorum''
			\| Ocimum inodorum \| Burm.f.
	\| binomial_authority = ]
			\| Ocimum monachorum \| L.
	\| synonyms = ''Ocimum sanctum'' <small>]</small>
			\| Ocimum sanctum \| L.
			\| Ocimum subserratum \| B.Heyne ex Hook.f.
			\| Ocimum tomentosum \| Lam.
			\| Plectranthus monachorum \| (L.) Spreng.
			}}
			\| synonyms_ref = <ref name="POWO"/>
	}}		}}
	The '''Tulsi''' (also known as '''Tulasi''') plant or '''Holy Basil''' (''Ocimum tenuiflorum'') is an important symbol in many ] religious traditions. The name "tulsi" means "the incomparable one". Tulsi is a venerated plant and devotees worship it in the morning and evening. Tulsi grows wild in the tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama (]) Tulsi and light or ] Tulsi are the two main varieties of basil. The former possesses greater medicinal value and is commonly used for worship.

			'''''Ocimum tenuiflorum''''', commonly known as '''holy basil''', '''''tulsi''''' or '''''tulasi''''' ({{ety\|sa}}), is an aromatic ] plant in the family ].<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN \| access-date = 7 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="CABI-ISC"/> It is widely cultivated throughout the ] ].<ref name="POWO">{{cite web \|date=2023 \|title=''Ocimum tenuiflorum'' L. \|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:453130-1 \|access-date=26 June 2023 \|publisher=Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens}}</ref><ref name="Staples19992">{{Cite book \|last=Staples \|first=George \|title=Ethnic Culinary Herbs \|author2=Michael S. Kristiansen \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|year=1999 \|isbn=978-0-8248-2094-7 \|page=73}}</ref><ref name="warrier2">{{Cite book \|last=Warrier \|first=P K \|title=Indian Medicinal Plants \|publisher=Orient Longman \|year=1995 \|isbn=978-0-86311-551-6 \|page=168}}</ref> It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific.<ref name="POWO"/> This plant has escaped from cultivation and has ] in many tropical regions of the Americas.<ref name="CABI-ISC">{{ cite web \| url=http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/110287 \| title=''Ocimum tenuiflorum'' (holy basil)\|publisher=CABI Invasive Species Compendium\|date=23 August 2014\|accessdate=26 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="ITIS Standard Report Page: Ocimum tenuiflorum">{{ cite web \| url=http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=507863 \| title=''Ocimum tenuiflorum''\|publisher=Integrated Taxonomic Information System\|date=26 June 2023\|accessdate=26 June 2023}}</ref> It is an agricultural and ].<ref name="CABI-ISC"/>
	Tulsi has also been recognized by the rishis for thousands of years as a prime herb in ] treatment. It has been traditionally used by Hindus, and now others, for its diverse healing properties. Tulsi is mentioned by Acharya ], in the Charak Samhita, the central teaching of Ayurvedic medicine written at least two thousand years ago, and in the ]. Tulsi is considered to be an ], balancing different processes in the body, and helpful for adapting to stress. Marked by its strong aroma and ] taste, Tulsi is regarded as a kind of "elixir of life" and believed to promote longevity.

			''Tulasi'' is cultivated for religious and ] purposes, and also for its ]. It is widely used as an ], commonly used in ], and has a place within the ] tradition of ], in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.
	Its aroma is distinctively different to its close cousin, the ] which is sometimes wrongly called Holy basil, in shops and on the internet, but they can be distinguished by appearance, aroma and flavor. Holy basil has purple stems, whereas ] has green stems; holy basil is slightly hairy, whereas Thai Basil is smooth and hairless; holy basil does not have the strong aniseed or ] smell of Thai Basil; and Holy Basil has a hot, ] flavor sometimes compared to ].

			==Morphology==
	== Tulsi as a deity ==
			]
			]
			Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, {{convert\|30-60\|cm\|abbr=on}} tall with hairy stems. Leaves are green or purple; they are simple, ], with an ] blade up to {{convert\|5\|cm\|in\|frac=2\|abbr=on}} long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have a ] ]. The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongated ]s.<ref name="warrier">{{Cite book \|last=Warrier \|first=P K \|title=Indian Medicinal Plants \|publisher=Orient Longman \|year=1995 \|isbn=978-0-86311-551-6 \|page=168}}</ref>

			The three main ]s cultivated in ] and ] are ''Ram tulsi'' (the most common type, with broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet), the less common purplish green-leaved (] or ''Shyam tulsi'') and the common wild ''vana tulsi'' (e.g., ''Ocimum gratissimum'').<ref name="bio">{{Cite journal \|date=November–December 2005 \|title=Volatile Constituents in Oil from Different Plant Parts of Methyl Eugenol-Rich Ocimum tenuiflorum L.f. (syn. O. sanctum L.) Grown in South India \|journal=Journal of Essential Oil Research \|doi=10.1080/10412905.2005.9699025 \|first1=S. K. \|last1=Kothari \|first2=A. K. \|last2=Bhattacharya \|first3=S. \|last3=Ramesh \|first4=S. N. \|last4=Garg \|first5=S. P. S. \|last5=Khanuja \|pages=656–658 \|volume=17 \|issue=6 \|s2cid=95551382 }}</ref>
	The presence of a Tulsi plant symbolizes the religious bent of a Hindu family. In many traditions (i.e ]), a household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a Tulsi plant. Many families have the Tulsi planted in a specially built structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an ] for small earthen oil lamp. Some households can even have up to a dozen Tulsi plants on the ] or in the garden forming a "Tulsi-van" or "Tulsivrindavan" — a miniature basil ].

			== Phytochemicals ==
	Places that tend to inspire concentration and places ideal for worship, according to the ] ], include "grounds overgrown with Tulsi plants". The Tulsi Manas Mandir at ] is one such famous temple, where Tulsi is worshipped along with other ] (demi-gods/godesses). ]s, or followers of Vishnu, revere the Tulsi leaf because it pleases ] the most and thus is as an inherent part of offerings of '']''. They also wear beaded necklaces made of Tulsi stems. The manufacture of these Tulsi necklaces is a ] in places of ] and temple towns. Another name for Tulsi within the ] tradition is '''Vrindadevi''', meaning 'the goddess of ]'.
			The plant and its oil contain diverse ]s, including ]s, ]s, ], ]s, ], ], ], and ], among others.<ref name="drugs">{{cite web \|title=Holy basil \|url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/holy-basil.html \|publisher=Drugs.com \|access-date=26 June 2023 \|date=1 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal\|doi=10.1080/10826076.2011.606583\|title=LC-MS Quantification of Rosmarinic Acid and Ursolic Acid in Theocimum Sanctumlinn. Leaf Extract (Holy Basil, Tulsi)\|journal=Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies\|volume=35\|issue=5\|pages=634\|year=2012\|last1=Sundaram\|first1=R. Shanmuga\|last2=Ramanathan\|first2=M\|last3=Rajesh\|first3=R\|last4=Satheesh\|first4=B\|last5=Saravanan\|first5=D\|s2cid=95225535}}</ref> One study reported that the plant contains an eponymous family of 10 ] compounds called ''tulsinol A-J''.<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Singh \|first=Deepika \|last2=Chaudhuri \|first2=Prabir K. \|date=2018-08-01 \|title=A review on phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Holy basil (''Ocimum sanctum'' L.) \|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669018302711 \|journal=Industrial Crops and Products \|language=en \|volume=118 \|pages=367–382 \|doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.03.048 \|issn=0926-6690}}</ref>

			Specific ]s in the ] are camphor (32%), ] (19%), ] (17%), eugenol (14%), germacrene (11%) and β-bisabolene (11%).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal \|last1=Yamani \|first1=Hanaa A. \|last2=Pang \|first2=Edwin C. \|last3=Mantri \|first3=Nitin \|last4=Deighton \|first4=Margaret A. \|date=2016 \|title=Antimicrobial Activity of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Essential Oil and Their Major Constituents against Three Species of Bacteria \|journal=Frontiers in Microbiology \|volume=7 \|page=681 \|doi=10.3389/fmicb.2016.00681 \|issn=1664-302X \|pmc=4868837 \|pmid=27242708 \|doi-access=free }}</ref>{{dubious source\|date=April 2023}} In addition, more than 60 different aroma compounds were found through ] analysis of holy basil.<ref name=":0" /> However, other studies have stated tulsi essential oil consists mostly of eugenol (70%) ] (11%), β-caryophyllene (8%), and ] (2%), with the balance being made up of various trace compounds, mostly ].<ref>{{Cite journal \|last1=Padalia \|first1=Rajendra C. \|last2=Verma \|first2=Ram S. \|year=2011 \|title=Comparative volatile oil composition of four ''Ocimum'' species from northern India \|journal=Natural Product Research \|volume=25 \|issue=6 \|pages=569–575 \|doi=10.1080/14786419.2010.482936 \|pmid=21409717 \|s2cid=205836713}}</ref>
	== Tulsi as an Ayurvedic medicine ==

			==Uses==
	Tulsi’s extracts are used in ayurvedic remedies for common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria. Traditionally, tulsi is taken in many forms: as an herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf, or mixed with ]. Essential oil extracted from Karpoora Tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal toiletry. For centuries, the dried leaves of Tulsi have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.
			===Culinary===
			''Tulasi'' has been used in ] and ] practices for its supposed medicinal properties.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=NIIR Board, National Institute of Industrial Research (India)\|title=Compendium of Medicinal Plants\|publisher=National Institute of Industrial Research\|series=2004\|isbn=978-81-86623-80-0\|page=320\|year=2004}}</ref><ref name="BraunCohen2015">{{cite book\|author1=Lesley Braun\|author2=Marc Cohen\|title=Herbs and Natural Supplements, Volume 2: An Evidence-Based Guide\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y951BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA996\|date=30 March 2015\|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences\|isbn=978-0-7295-8173-8\|page=996}}</ref>

			====Thai cuisine====
	Recent studies suggest that Tulsi may be a ] inhibitor, like many modern ]s, due to its significant amount of Eugenol (1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-allylbenzene). <ref>Indian J Exp Biol. 1999 Mar;37(3):248-52.</ref> <ref> Prakash P, Gupta N. Therapeutic uses of Ocimum sanctum Linn (Tulsi) with a note on eugenol and its pharmacological actions: a short review.</ref> Studies have also shown Tulsi to be effective for diabetes, by reducing blood glucose levels. <ref>Effect of Ocimum sanctum Leaf Powder on Blood Lipoproteins, Glycated Proteins and Total Amino Acids in Patients with Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine. V. RAI MSC, U. V. MANI MSC PHD FICN AND U. M. IYER MSC PHD. Volume 7, Number 2 / June 1, 1997. p. 113 - 118</ref> The same study showed significant reduction in total cholesterol levels with Tulsi. Another study showed that Tulsi's beneficial effect on blood glucose levels is due to its antioxidant properties. <ref>Evaluation of Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Effect of Ocimum Sanctum,. Jyoti Sethi, Sushma Sood, Shashi Seth, and Anjana Talwar. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 2004, 19 (2) 152-155.</ref>
			]
			The leaves of holy basil, known as ''kaphrao'' in the ] ({{lang\|th\|กะเพรา}}), are commonly used in ] for certain stir-fries and curries such as '']'' ({{lang\|th\|ผัดกะเพรา}}) — a stir-fry of Thai holy basil with meats, seafood or, as in '']'', with rice. Two different types of holy basil are used in Thailand, a "red" variant which tends to be more pungent, and a "white" version for seafood dishes.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Thompson \|first1=David \|title=Thai food \|date=2010 \|publisher=Pavilion Books \|location=London \|isbn=9-781862-055148 \|pages=143 \|edition=7 \|accessdate= }}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Punyaratabandhu \|first1=Leela \|title=Bangkok \|date=2017 \|publisher=Ten Speed Press \|location=New York \|isbn=978-0-399-57831-1 \|page=338 \|edition=1 \|accessdate= }}</ref> ''Kaphrao'' should not be confused with ''horapha'' ({{lang\|th\|โหระพา}}), which is normally known as ],<ref name=katzer></ref> or with ] (''maenglak''; {{lang\|th\|แมงลัก}}).

			===Insect repellent===
	Tulsi also shows some promise for protection from radiation poisining <ref> Devi, P. Uma; Ganasoundari, A.. Modulation of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes by Ocimum sanctum and its role in protection against radiation injury. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, v.37, n.3, 1999. March,:262-268.</ref> and cataracts. <ref> Sharma, P; Kulshreshtha, S; Sharma, A L. Anti-cataract activity of Ocimum sanctum on experimental cataract. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, v.30, n.1, 1998:16-20</ref> Some ] do not use Tulsi for medicine, though, out of reverence. However, the use of Tulsi for purification and as a medicine is widespread throughout India. Many Hindus — along with the ancient tradition of Ayurveda — believe that the healing properties of sacred herbs such as Tulsi were given by the Lord himself, and can be used as a medicine out of reverence.
			For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.<ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Biswas\|first=N. P.\|author2=Biswas, A. K.\|title= Evaluation of some leaf dusts as grain protectant against rice weevil ''Sitophilus oryzae'' (Linn.) \|journal=Environment and Ecology\|volume= 23 \|issue= 3\|year= 2005\|pages=485–488 }}</ref>

			===Nematicidal===
	== Tulsi in Hinduism ==
			The essential oil may have ] properties against '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.<ref name="Chitwood-2002">{{cite journal \| last=Chitwood \| first=David J. \| title=Phytochemical Based Strategies for Nematode Control \| journal=] \| publisher=] \| volume=40 \| issue=1 \| year=2002 \| issn=0066-4286 \| doi=10.1146/annurev.phyto.40.032602.130045 \| pages=221–249\| pmid=12147760 }}</ref>

			===Disinfection===
	A number of passages in the ]s and other scriptures (]), point to the importance of tulsi within religious worship. Tulsi is regarded as a goddess and a consort of Lord Vishnu. A garland of tulsi leaves is the first offering to the Lord as part of the daily ritual. Tulsi is accorded the sixth place among the eight objects of worship in the ritual of the consecration of the kalasha, the container of holy water.
			Water ] using ''O. tenuiflorum'' extracts was tested by Bhattacharjee et al. 2013 and Sadul et al. 2009. Both found an ] to be more effective than ] or ]. Sundaramurthi et al 2012 finds the result to be safe to drink and ]. A constituent analysis by Sadul found ]s, ]s, and ]s in the aqueous, and alkaloids and steroids only in the alcoholic extract.<ref name="Pandit-Kumar-2015">{{cite journal \| last1=Pandit \| first1=Aniruddha B. \| last2=Kumar \| first2=Jyoti Kishen \| title=Clean Water for Developing Countries \| journal=] \| publisher=] \| volume=6 \| issue=1 \| date=2015-07-24 \| issn=1947-5438 \| doi=10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061114-123432 \| pages=217–246\| pmid=26247291 \| doi-access=free }}</ref>

			==Significance in Hinduism==
	Tulsi was a ] who fell in love with ] and so had a curse laid on her by His consort ]. She is very dear to Vishnu. Tulsi is also mentioned in the stories of Meera and Radha immortalised in ]'s '']''. When Krishna was weighed in gold, not even all the ornaments of His consort ] could outweigh Him. But a single tulsi leaf placed by His another consort ] on the pan tilted the scale.
			{{main\|Tulsi in Hinduism}}

			''Tulasi'' is a sacred plant for ]s, particularly the ] sect. It is worshipped as the ] of ],{{cn\|date=July 2021}} and is often planted in ]s of Hindu houses or temples to ].<ref name="Simoons"/> The ritual lighting of lamps each evening during '']'' includes the worship of the ''tulsi'' plant.<ref name="Flood2003">{{Cite book\|last=Flood\|first=Gavin D. \|author-link=Gavin Flood \|title=The Blackwell companion to Hinduism\|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell\|year=2001 \|page=331 \|isbn=978-0-631-21535-6 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qSfneQ0YYY8C&pg=PA331}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|title=Hindu Mythology \|last=Wilkins\|first=W.J. \|page=471 \|publisher=D.K. Printworld \|location=New Delhi \|isbn=978-81-246-0234-8 \|year=2003}}</ref> Vaishnavites are also known as "those who bear the'' tulsi'' around the neck".<ref name="Simoons">{{Cite book \|last=Simoons\|first=Frederick J.\|title=Plants of life, plants of death \|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press \|year=1998 \|pages=7–40 \|isbn=978-0-299-15904-7 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KEUAbrBoeBAC&pg=PA14}}</ref>
	Tulsi is ceremonially married to Vishnu annually on the eleventh bright day of the month of ] in the ]. This festival continues for five days and concludes on the full moon day, which falls in mid-October. This ritual, called the "Tulsi Vivaha", inaugurates the annual marriage season in ].

			'']'' is a ceremonial festival performed between '']'' (the 11th or 12th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the ] of ]) and '']'' (the full moon of the month).<ref name = underhill>{{cite book \|author=Underhill, M. M. \|title=The Hindu Religious Year \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb9Zc0yPVUUC \|year=1991 \|pages= 129–131 \|publisher=Asian Educational Services \|isbn=978-81-206-0523-7}}</ref><ref name="PawarPatil2008">{{cite book \|author1=Pawar, Shubhangi \|author2=Patil, D. A. \|title=Ethnobotany of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xTi0iaalLXcC&pg=PA401 \|date= 2008 \|pages=400 \|publisher=Daya Publishing House \|isbn=978-81-7035-515-1}}</ref>
	=== Quotes regarding Tulsi ===
	*"As by chanting the name of ], one becomes free from all kinds of worldly sins, if someone chants the name of Tulasi or chants the glories of Lord ] with devotion, he gets the same merit." - ''From the Brhan Naradiya ]''

			Every evening,] and ] Hindus place earthen lamps in front of tulsi plants. During the Kati Bihu festival celebrated in ], people light earthen lamps ('']'') at the foot of the household tulsi plants and pray.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=ANI \|title=Kati Bihu celebrated in Assam \|url=http://businessworld.in/article/Kati-Bihu-celebrated-in-Assam/18-10-2020-332770 \|access-date=2022-06-09 \|website=BW Businessworld \|language=en}}</ref>
	*"Just by touching Tulsidevi one's body becomes pure. By praying to her, all diseases practically become removed. If one waters her or makes her wet, the fear of ] (death personified) is destroyed." - ''From the Skanda Purana''

			==Gallery==
	*"Tulasi is most beloved of Lord Krishna and thus her leaves and flowers are also most dear to Him." - '']''
			<gallery mode="nolines">
			File:Ocimum tenuiflorum inflorescence closeup.jpg\|Inflorescence
			File:Japa mala (prayer beads) of Tulasi wood with 108 beads - 20040101-01.jpg\|] made from ''tulsi'' wood
			</gallery>

			==See also==
	*"Tulasi leaf is very, very dear to ]." - '']''
			* ]
			* ]

	==~~Notes~~==		==References==
			{{Reflist}}
	<references/>

	== External links ==		==External links==
			*{{Commons category-inline\|Ocimum tenuiflorum}}
	=== Tulsi devi ===
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	*
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			{{Herbs & spices}}
	=== Benefits of Tulsi ===
			{{Worship in Hinduism}}
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			{{Taxonbar\|from=Q960124}}
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	=== Practical care ===
	*

	=== Miscellaneous ===
	*

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Latest revision as of 18:59, 19 December 2024

Species of flowering plant "Tulsi" and "Tulasi" redirect here. For other uses, see Tulsi (disambiguation) and Tulasi (disambiguation). "Holy Basil" redirects here. Not to be confused with holy herb.

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Ocimum
Species:	O. tenuiflorum
Binomial name
*Ocimum tenuiflorum* L.
Synonyms
Geniosporum tenuiflorum (L.) Merr. Lumnitzera tenuiflora (L.) Spreng. Moschosma tenuiflorum (L.) Heynh. Ocimum hirsutum Benth. Ocimum inodorum Burm.f. Ocimum monachorum L. Ocimum sanctum L. Ocimum subserratum B.Heyne ex Hook.f. Ocimum tomentosum Lam. Plectranthus monachorum (L.) Spreng.

Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as holy basil, tulsi or tulasi (from Sanskrit), is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific. This plant has escaped from cultivation and has naturalized in many tropical regions of the Americas. It is an agricultural and environmental weed.

Tulasi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and also for its essential oil. It is widely used as an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.

Morphology

Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall with hairy stems. Leaves are green or purple; they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have a decussate phyllotaxy. The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongated racemes.

The three main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are Ram tulsi (the most common type, with broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet), the less common purplish green-leaved (Krishna or Shyam tulsi) and the common wild vana tulsi (e.g., Ocimum gratissimum).

Phytochemicals

The plant and its oil contain diverse phytochemicals, including tannins, flavonoids, eugenol, caryophyllenes, carvacrol, linalool, camphor, and cinnamyl acetate, among others. One study reported that the plant contains an eponymous family of 10 neolignan compounds called tulsinol A-J.

Specific aroma compounds in the essential oil are camphor (32%), eucalyptol (19%), ⍺-bisabolene (17%), eugenol (14%), germacrene (11%) and β-bisabolene (11%). In addition, more than 60 different aroma compounds were found through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of holy basil. However, other studies have stated tulsi essential oil consists mostly of eugenol (70%) β-elemene (11%), β-caryophyllene (8%), and germacrene (2%), with the balance being made up of various trace compounds, mostly terpenes.

Uses

Culinary

Tulasi has been used in Ayurvedic and Siddha practices for its supposed medicinal properties.

Thai cuisine

The leaves of holy basil, known as kaphrao in the Thai language (กะเพรา), are commonly used in Thai cuisine for certain stir-fries and curries such as phat kaphrao (ผัดกะเพรา) — a stir-fry of Thai holy basil with meats, seafood or, as in khao phat kraphao, with rice. Two different types of holy basil are used in Thailand, a "red" variant which tends to be more pungent, and a "white" version for seafood dishes. Kaphrao should not be confused with horapha (โหระพา), which is normally known as Thai basil, or with Thai lemon basil (maenglak; แมงลัก).

Insect repellent

For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.

Nematicidal

The essential oil may have nematicidal properties against Tylenchulus semipenetrans, Meloidogyne javanica, Anguina tritici, and Heterodera cajani.

Disinfection

Water disinfection using O. tenuiflorum extracts was tested by Bhattacharjee et al. 2013 and Sadul et al. 2009. Both found an alcoholic extract to be more effective than aqueous or leaf juice. Sundaramurthi et al 2012 finds the result to be safe to drink and antimicrobial. A constituent analysis by Sadul found alkaloids, steroids, and tannins in the aqueous, and alkaloids and steroids only in the alcoholic extract.

Significance in Hinduism

Main article: Tulsi in Hinduism

Tulasi is a sacred plant for Hindus, particularly the Vaishnavite sect. It is worshipped as the avatar of Lakshmi, and is often planted in courtyards of Hindu houses or temples to Hanuman. The ritual lighting of lamps each evening during Kartik includes the worship of the tulsi plant. Vaishnavites are also known as "those who bear the tulsi around the neck".

Tulasi Vivaha is a ceremonial festival performed between Prabodhini Ekadashi (the 11th or 12th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika) and Kartik Purnima (the full moon of the month).

Every evening,Odia and Bengali Hindus place earthen lamps in front of tulsi plants. During the Kati Bihu festival celebrated in Assam, people light earthen lamps (diya) at the foot of the household tulsi plants and pray.

Gallery

Inflorescence
Prayer beads made from tulsi wood

References

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Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
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External links

Media related to Ocimum tenuiflorum at Wikimedia Commons

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Sacred plants

Trees	Akshayavata Ashoka Banyan Kadamba Kalpavriksha Parijata Peepal Sacred groves
Fruits and other plants	Bael Kusha grass Lotus Tulasi (Tulasi Vrindavana)