Evaluation of antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine shrimp cytotoxic potential of crude methanolic extract of Herb Ocimum basilicum (Lamiacea)

ObjectiveTo collect and screen for ethnopharmacological properties (antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine lethality assays) of medicinal plant Ocimum basilicum from Peshawar region (34.008 Latitude and 71.57 altitudes).MethodsIn the present study a general antileishmanial activity against Leishmania tropica strain was carried out. The antibacterial potential of the plant was performed against 06 gram positive and 06 gram negative bacteria. Brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay at different concentrations were investigated.ResultsThe anti-promastigotes profile of the plant showed good antileishmanial activity exhibited LC50 value 21.67 μg/mL. The result for gram positive antibacterial activity revealed that the O. basilicum leaves extract possesses significant inhibitory activity at highest two concentrations ranging from 20.66 ± 0.31 to 31.86 ± 0.80 for Clostridium perfringens type C and Bacillus subtitilis, respectively, as compared to the gentamycin (27.36 ± 0.55 and 21.80 ± 0.72, respectively). For gram negative bacteria good activity was observed. A highest zone of inhibition was recorded for Pseudomonas aeroginosa (28.83 ± 0.28) at the highest concentration (10 mg/mL). The LC50 value obtained for brine shrimp lethality assay was 91.56 μg/mL.ConclusionThe herb basil possesses effective cidal activities which make this plant a good candidate for the isolation of antiprotozoal and antibacterial compounds which may lead to the development of novel drug.