Abstract:
Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (Lamiaceae) is a therapeutically important widely used medicinal
plant in traditional systems of medicine for religious purposes and spiritual sanctity in many
Asian countries. The present study compares the total phenolic content (TPC), total
flavonoid content (TFC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of leaf, bark, flower and seeds
of Ocimum tenuiflorum harvested at three consecutive pruning stages grown in two agro
climatic regions. TAC, TFC and TPC were determined using standard protocols. Total
antioxidant capacity of leaf, bark, flower and seed extracts significantly (p=0.05) increased
from first pruning to third pruning irrespective of agro climatic regions. Antioxidant potential
and total flavonoid content of different parts of O. tenuiflorum cultivated in the low country
intermediate-zone (IL1a) and low country dry zone (DL1b) varied as leaf> bark> flower>
seeds. Even though the TPC significantly varied among different parts as well as prunin g
stages, a relationship was not observed either for the agro climatic region or pruning
intervals. The results of the present study are of vital importance for the determination of
suitable agro climatic region, optimum harvesting stage for higher phytochemicals,
bioactivity and optimum therapeutic properties of O. tenuiflorum.
Keywords: Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae, total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic
