Chemical constituents, physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity of leaves essential oil of Ocimum urticifolium

Damakase (<i>Ocimum lamiifolum</i> Hochest ex Benth): A Medicinal Plant Used in Ethiopian Traditional Medicine: A Critical Review

“…The genus Ocimum comprises more than 150 species that are distributed from tropical to subtropical regions. It is a versatile aromatic genus that is well known for its medicinal properties and its economically important essential oils [4,2]. The plant is an indigenous plant to Ethiopia and has different names in the vernacular languages of Ethiopia, like 'damakase' by Amharic, 'Anchabi/Qoricha michi' by Afan Oromo, Akawaya by Gumzegna, and 'Guluuwa/Desha-dunkiya' by Dawuro [1,4,2].…”

“…It is a versatile aromatic genus that is well known for its medicinal properties and its economically important essential oils [4,2]. The plant is an indigenous plant to Ethiopia and has different names in the vernacular languages of Ethiopia, like 'damakase' by Amharic, 'Anchabi/Qoricha michi' by Afan Oromo, Akawaya by Gumzegna, and 'Guluuwa/Desha-dunkiya' by Dawuro [1,4,2]. The plant is commonly found and widely distributed in various parts of Ethiopia and East African countries and extends from Kenya to Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and many other countries [2].…”

“…Traditional medicinal plants are an integral part of primary healthcare and have been used extensively as traditional treatments for both humans and animals in developing countries [2,4]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified that medicinal plants meet the health needs of approximately 80% of the world's population, especially in the rural areas of developing countries such as Ethiopia [8] (WHO, 2001).…”

“…They found that this essential oil exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial and potent antioxidant properties. Another study on Ocimum urticifolium, a related species, by Alemayehu et al [4] discovered the presence of additional chemical constituents such as linalool and 1,8-cineole, both of which have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.…”