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Ocimum basilicum

Tisserand and Young (2014) indicate that oil with a content of 33% presents a low risk of skin sensitisation. BASIL (Ocimum basilicum) For oils with high levels of methyl A native of Asia, basil has been used for centuries as a culinary and medicinal (87.4%), methyleugenol (4.2%), or eugenol herb. Today, it can be found growing throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, (15.2%), refer to Tisserand and Young (2014) for Africa and the USA, with more than 100 tonnes of essential oil being produced recommended dermal levels. annually, making it an important economic crop. The oil is produced by steam distillation of the leaves and fl owering tops. Pale yellow in colour, it has a fresh, sweet-spicy aroma, with a top to middle note. RESEARCH Basil has a long history of use in traditional Indian medicine, for the treatment Anxiety of coughs, colds and other respiratory problems, as well as digestive complaints, Anxiety is a common health problem and including diarrhoea and dysentery. By the 16th century, it was widely used to prescription drugs to treat the condition can have treat headaches and migraines. undesirable side-effects. A recent study (Rabbani, 2015) showed that both a hydroalcoholic extract and the essential oil of O. basilicum had an anxiolytic effect on mice but ‘did not cause Botanical family Body systems sedation to the extent observed with diazepam’. Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Circulation, digestive, immune, nervous, The researchers stated that ‘these effects could respiratory, skin. be due to and terpenoid components Chemical composition of the plant’, which included methyl chavicol Alcohols – , terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, Therapeutic properties (42.8%), geranial (13%) and neral (12.2%). citronellol, geraniol Analgesic, antibacterial, anti-infl ammatory, – eugenol, methyl chavicol (estragole), antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, Malaria methyleugenol decongestant, digestive tonic, expectorant, Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases known Monoterpenes – α-penine, ß-penine, febrifuge, insecticidal, nervine. to humans, with the World Health Organization limonene, γ-terpinene (WHO, 2016) reporting that there were 212 Oxides – 1,8-cineole Indications million new cases of malaria worldwide in 2015. Anxiety, asthma, bronchitis, eczema, intellectual A study published in Parasite (Ntonga et al, 2014) While there are lots of different types of basil, fatigue, insecticidal, fever, fl atulence, gastric suggests that essential oils from three different two are commonly referred to in aromatherapy – spasms/gastritis, muscle cramp, nausea, plants, including O. basilicum, were promising sweet basil (O. basilicum ct. linalool) and ‘exotic’ nervousness, poor concentration, rheumatoid ‘for the elaboration of new anti-malarial drugs basil (O. basilicum ct. methyl chavicol). The latter arthritis, sinusitis, whooping cough. and biological insecticides’. typically has a higher methyl chavicol (estragole) O. basilicum, O. canum (‘hoary’ basil) and content. Studies involving rodents have raised Blends with Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) were chosen concerns that methyl chavicol (estragole) is Bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, by the researchers, as these are traditionally potentially carcinogenic in high doses, so in the lavender, lemon, orange (sweet), palmarosa, used as insect repellents, noting that ‘in the interests of safety, many therapists prefer to use peppermint, pine, rosemary. villages of the rainforests [...], it is strongly sweet basil (O. basilicum ct. linalool) for general recommended to place these plants in the four use. See ‘Safety’ section for more information. Safety corners of the room to repel mosquitoes’. The Methyl chavicol (estragole) is a chemical profi le of the O. basilicum used in this research It is important to note that the quantity (%) compound found, to a greater or lesser extent, was free from methyl chavicol and very low in of key constituents of any essential oil can vary, in different varieties of O. basilicum. When methyleugenol content. depending on the climate, altitude and soil commenting on the carcinogenic potential of where the plant is grown, and when it is methyl chavicol (estragole) in Essential Oil REFERENCES harvested. Refer to the manufacturer’s Safety, Tisserand and Young state: ‘The weight of For full references, go to safety data sheet for a breakdown of an oil’s evidence suggests that low exposure to estragole fht.org.uk/IT-references

PICTURE: ISTOCK chemical profi le. entails negligible risk to humans.’

16 INTERNATIONAL THERAPIST SPRING 2017 FHT.ORG.UK

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