Abstract

 Herbs have been an important part of Indian food since the times of Romans and are effectively used as a possible alternative for medicinal treatments. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is one of such annual herbs cultivated for several millennia for its ornamental and therapeutic importance in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. This chapter distinguishes sweet basil O. basilicum from other species of genus Ocimum, providing a place of origin and botanical distribution along with historical significance. The culinary, cosmetic, and traditional medicinal uses of sweet basil are described, followed by the chemical composition of the different parts of the plant used. Different types of chemical constituents found in the plant include terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponin glycosides, and ascorbic acid. Major compounds which have been observed to be present in higher amounts in essential oils or extracts from different parts of the plant include rosmarinic acid, linalool, eugenol, 1, 8- cineone, methyl eugenol, and anthocyanins. These compounds have been found mainly responsible for various bioactive properties such as antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, insecticidal activities, etc. This chapter has covered up-to-date information on pharmacological investigations of the herb and its health-related benefits.