Bronchodilator activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn. (tulsi) in mild and moderate asthmatic patients in comparison with salbutamol: a single-blind cross-over study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20170543Keywords:
Bronchodilation, FEV1, Ocimum sanctum, PEFR, SalbutamolAbstract
Background: Bronchial asthma is one of the commonest chronic inflammatory diseases. The drugs available to treat bronchial asthma such as, beta-2 agonists, though very effective are associated with adverse effects. Therefore, the Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) which was shown to have antiasthmatic activity in Ayurveda, is evaluated in this study.
Objectives: To evaluate the bronchodilator activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn. in mild and moderate asthma and compare its efficacy with the standard bronchodilator drug, Salbutamol.
Methods: This is a single-blind cross-over study. Capsules of Ocimum sanctum Linn. (200 mg, twice daily) and Salbutamol sulphate (2 mg, twice daily) were administered in 41 patients. Each drug was administered for a period of one week with a washout period of one week between the two drug schedules. FEV1 and PEFR were recorded in these patients to assess the bronchodilator activity before the drug administration, on 4th and on 7th day of administration of Ocimum sanctum and the parameters obtained were compared with that of the standard drug, Salbutamol.
Results: Ocimum sanctum 200mg twice daily produced significant improvement in both FEV1 and PEFR values, on 4th and 7th day and also produced improvement in symptoms of asthma. On comparing the results with that of Salbutamol 2mg twice daily, the bronchodilator activity of Ocimum sanctum was found to be less efficacious, where Salbutamol produced very highly significant improvement in FEV1 and PEFR values on both 4th and 7th day.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that Ocimum sanctum Linn. possesses significant bronchodilator activity in mild and moderate bronchial asthma.
Metrics
References
Boushey HA, Corry DB, Fahy JV. Asthma. In: Murray JF, Nadel JA. Textbook of medicine, 3rd ed. Pennysylvania: W B Saunders Company; 2000;2:1247.
Murthy KJR, Sastry JG. Economic burden of asthma. NCMH background papers-burden of disease in India: 251-8.
McFadden ER. Asthma. In: Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Longo DL, Hauser HL, Jameson JL. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. 16th ed; McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc; 2005;2:1508-11.
Aggarwal AN, Chaudhry K. Prevalence and risk factors for bronchial asthma in Indian adults: A multicentre study. Ind J Chest Dis Allied Sci. 2006;48:13-22.
Burney PGJ. Asthma: Epidemiology. In: Seaton Anthony, Seaton Douglas, Leitch Gordon. Crofton and Douglas’s respiratory diseases, 5th ed. Blackwell Science; 2000;2:894-7.
Fraser RS, Muller NL, Neil C, Pare PD. Asthma. In: Fraser and Pare’s diagnosis of diseases of the chest. 4th ed. USA: W. B. Saunders Company; 1999;3:2078-97.
Tarlo SM, Balmes J, Balkissoon R, Beach J, Beckett W, Bernstein D et al. Diagnosis and management of work-related asthma: ACCP Consensus statement. Chest. 2008;134(3):1S-41S.
Westfall TC, Westfall DP. Neurotransmission. The autonomic and somatic motor nervous systems. In: Brunton LL, Lazo JS, Parker KL. Goodman Gillman’s Pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 11th ed. NewYork: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc; 2006:167-8.
Satyavati. Ocimum Linn. In: Medicinal plants of India (monograph). New Delhi: I.C.M.R. publication; 1987;2:354-70.
Sancti FO. In: WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants; 2004.
Nadkarni KM. In: Dr. K. M. Nadkarni’s Indian Materia Medica, 3rd ed; Bombay: Popular Book Depot; 1954;1:861-7.
Kothari SK, Bhattacharya AK. Antimicrobial activity of essential oil of methyl eugenol rich Ocimum tenuiflorum L.F. (syn. O.sanctum l). Indian drugs 2006;43(5):410-4.
Prakash P, Gupta N. Therapeutic uses of OS (Tulsi) with a note on eugenol and its pharmacological actions- A short review. Ind J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49(2):125-31.
Rao VKN, Gopalakrishnan V, Kishore, Prasad R, Srikanth P. Occurrence, distribution, and biological activity of Ursolic acid-A review. Indian Drugs. 2001;38(5):216-24.
Kudagi BL (Dissertation). Evaluation and comparison of bronchodilator activity of OS (Tulsi) in vitro and in vivo (clinical) study; Dharwad University, 1993:59-60.
Bhargava, Singh N. Antistress activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn. Ind J Med Res. 1981;73:443-51.
Das SK, Agarwal SS, Singh N. Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) in the treatment of viral encephalitis. The Antiseptic. 1983;80(7):323-7.
Colice GL. Categorizing asthma severity: An overview of national guidelines. Clin Med and Res. 2004;2(3):155-63.
Blake K, Madbushi R, Derendorf H, Lima J. Population Pharmacodynamic model of Bronchodilator response to inhaled Albuterol in children and adults with asthma. Chest. 2008;134(5):981-7.
Hannan JMA, Marenah L, Ali L. OS leaf extracts stimulate insulin secretion from perfused pancreas, isolated islets and clonal pancreatic β cells. J Endocrin. 2006;189:127-36.
Study of anti-tussive activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn in guinea pigs. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49(2):243-5.
Mediratta PK. Effect of Ocimum sanctum Linn. on humoral immune responses. Ind J Med Res. 1988;4:384-6.
Singh N. A new concept on the possible therapy of stress diseases with “adaptogens” (Anti-stress drugs) of indigenous plant origin. Current Medical Practice. 1981;25(1):50.
Singh H, Kapoor VK. In: Medicinal and Pharmaceutical chemistry. Delhi: Vallabh Prakashan; 1995.
Study of anti-tussive activity of Ocimum sanctum Linn in guinea pigs. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol; 2005;49(2):243-5.
Kokate CK, Purohit AP, Gokhale B. Terpenoids-Tulsi. In: Pharmacognosy, 37th edition; Pune: Nirali Prakashan, 2007:348-9.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
