Ocimum basilicum (L.) and Premna integrifolia (L.) modulate stress response and lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

•Ocimum basilicum (OC) and Premna integrifolia (PS) are used in herbal medicine.•OC and PS synergistically promote longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.•OC and PS aqueous extract modulates stress response in C. elegans.•The extract deserves future investigations for treating age related disorders.

The ever increasing popularity of herbal supplements modulating aging has shifted focus towards development of natural therapeutics for curing age related afflictions in living organisms. The progression in age is correlated with elevation in oxidative stress. The increment in oxidative stress ultimately affects human health, which led to search for new stress alleviating compounds, but very few bioactive molecules are available presently. To this end, we evaluated the effect of three aqueous extract viz. Ocimum basilicum (OCW), Premna integrifolia (PSW) and mixture of both herbs (OPW) on Caenorhabditis elegans. The present study delineates effect of OPW, PSW and OCW on lifespan using survival and stress assays. The maximal lifespan extension was observed in OPW (50 μg/ml) 32% (P < 0.0001) followed by 27.9% (P < 0.0001) in PSW (50 μg/ml) and 18.39% (P < 0.0001) in OCW (50 μg/ml). Furthermore, all the three extracts were able to modulate both the oxidative as well as thermal stress. Altogether, OPW mediates maximal lifespan extension in the worm which can be attributed to modulation of stress level to a greater extent. These results may provide insights for designing evidence-based herbal therapy in future.

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