TULASĪ
Botanical name:
Ocimum sanctum Linn.
Family:
Lamiaceae
Classical name
: Tulasi
Sanskrit name:
Tulasi, Sulabhā, Devadundubhi, Apetarākṣarī, Surasã, Bhūtaghni, Bahumañjarī.
Regional names
Tulasi (Hindi, Beng., Guj., Tam., Tel.); Shritulasi (Kann.); Mittavu (Mal.);
Sacred Basil, Holy Basil (Eng.).
Description
An erect, herbaceous,
much-branched, softly hairy, annual, 30-75 cm. high. Leaves elliptic-oblong,
acute or obtuse, entire or serrate, pubescent on both sides, minutely
gland-dotted. Flowers purplish or crimson, in racemes, close whorled. Nutlets
sub-globose or broadly ellipsoid, slightly compressed, nearly smooth, pale
brown or reddish, with small black markings.
Distribution
Plant occurs throughout
India, ascending upto 1,800 meters in the Himalayas, and in Andamans and
Nicobar Islands. It is commonly cultivated in gardens; it is frequently found
as an escape.
It is most commonly
planted-pot herb on account of its particularly socio-religious importance as a
sacred plant (Hindu religion) as well as environmental (including anti
microbial) utility for Indian community as a whole in general.
Plant occurs in
paleotropics. It is frequently growing in gardens, lawns, agricultural fields,
waste places and or ridges.
Kinds and
varieties
Classically, there are
mainly two kinds of Tulasi viz Sweta tulasi and krisna tulasi as indicated in
Nighantus (Bhavamiśra). Susruta Samhită mentions two varieties as and surasă.
Thus, kinds of Tulasi are broadly considered such white (sveta) and black
(krsna) Tulasi. Some species of Ocimum
henes are referred in context of Tulasi. Ocimum Sims (white flowered, Sveta
surasa), O. gratissimum Linn. (Phanijjaka, Rāmatulasi), O.americanum Linn. (a variety of śveta
tulasi) and O. kilimandascharicum Guerke
(Kapuri tulasi-Karpūra tulasi)
Chemical composition
The leaves on
steam-distillation yield a bright yellow volatile oil possessing pleasent odour
characteristic of the plant with an appreciable note of cloves. The yield of
oil varies with type, season, and the place of origin. Data of analysis various
samples (collected from different parts country) are on record, showing the
yield of oil (0.1 0.23% and 0.20-0.33% etc.), acid val. (1.1-1.6), phenols
(45-70%) and aldehydes (15-25%) and almost similar varying data.
The seeds of plant give
a greenish yellow fixed oil (17.8%) with good drying properties, and with
analytical characteristics (i.e. sp. gr., acid val., sap. val., iod. val., thio
cyanogen val.; hachner val. and unsapon. matter contain sitosterol). The fatty
acid composition of the oil is as follows: palmitic 6.9, stearic 2.1, oleic
9.0, linoleic 66.1 and linolenic 15.7 percent.
Pharmacodynamics
Rasa : katu ,tikta
Guna: laghu , ruksha
Virya : Uṣṇa
Vipaka :Katu
Dosakarma : Kaphaghnam
Properties and action
Karma :
kaphaghna Kasahara-śvāsahara-kṣayaghna, kanthya,Hikkänigrahaṇa
Chardinigrahaṇa Krmighna-dipana-pacana-anulomana
Jantughna-durgandhanāśana
Vätahara-sothahara
Mūtrala (seeds) Hrdya Raktasodhaka Sukrala Tvagdosahara-Kandughna
Kuşthghna-svedajanana-tvacya Jvaraghna-sitapraśamana visamajvaraghna-jvarapratiṣedhaka
Vishaghna Balya Visankrāmaka.
Roga:
Vātaśleşmika
jvara-pratiśyāyan. Käsa-śvāsa-pārsvašūla-yakṣmā Agnimandya-ajirna chardi Udaraśūla-pravähikā
Krmiroga Jantu (kītāņu) sankramana
bāhyakṛmi Vedana-aksepa-sotha Tvagroga-kacchu-pāmā-kandJirnavrana-sotha-vrana Dagdhavrana
Siroroga Karnasula Hrddourbalya-raktavikāra Sukrameha Mūtrakṛcchra-mutradāha bastiśotha-asmari
Makkalasula Visa-vrścikadamsa Jvara-jirnajvara Dourbalya Netra roga Bala roga
Parts used : Leaves ,roots,seeds
Groups :
Swasahara ( charaka sambitha)
Surasadi, sirovirechana ( susrutha samhitha)
