Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Various Extracts of <i>Ocimum basilicum L</i>. Leaves
Purushothaman Balakrishnan, Nagarasan Suganthi, Kumaran Shanmugam
Abstract
Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae) commonly known as basil possesses various medicinal activities to treat headache, diarrhoea, kidney malfunctions, diabeties, cancer and several pharmacological activities. These are mainly due to the various chemically diversified constituents present in it. In order to evaluate the chemical composition of basil leaves, the dried leaves were extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and water by Soxhlet's extraction. The extracts were screened for the qualitative determination by preliminary phytochemical screening. Quantitative determination was also performed for the total alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins and tannins. Amongst the extracts, methanol (MeOH) was identified to contain various classes of secondary metabolites, so GCMS analysis was performed on the MeOH extract. The results revealed that chemical constituents claimed for various biological activities were present.