ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF TULSI (OCIMUM SANCTUM LINN): A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Tulsi or Ocimum sanctum Linn. is a popular healing herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Its antimicrobial properties are widely used to treat several systemic diseases. In this review, we have given an up-to-date overview of the anti-infective properties of the Tulsi plant, with a particular focus on its antibacterial and antifungal activity. Published articles relevant to the research questions were searched in their database (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science). 27 out of 350 articles were selected through online and snowballing literature searches. Of these 27 articles, 20 were original research articles, and 7 were systematic reviews. The included articles were assessed on quality reporting, and results were presented using descriptive analysis. In the existing scenario of the high prevalence of bacterial diseases in developing countries like India, the emergence of multi-drug resistance amongst the prevalent pathogens has made it imperative to explore alternate preventive and treatment strategies to combat this problem. This study highlights the hidden antimicrobial potential of the phytochemicals and bioactive compounds derived from traditional medicinal plants like Tulsi as a good alternative.