Lecture No. 16
Selected Medicinal Plants
21- Ocimum basilicum
Family Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Sweet Basil, basil ‫الريحان الحلو‬
Plant Description:
 Strongly aromatic annual growing to 50 cm.
 Have shiny oval leaves, a square stem, and small white flowers in
whorls.
Habitat and Cultivation:
 Sweet basil, also known as basil, is probably native to India.
 Over 150 varieties are now grown around the world for their
distinctive flavor and essential oil.
 The leaves and flowering tops are gathered as the plant comes into
flower
Parts used: Leaves, flowering tops, essential oil.
Active Constituents:
 Sweet basil contains a volatile oil (about 1%), which consists
principally of linalool and methyl chavicol ,along with small
quantities of methyl cinnamate, cineole, and other terpenes.
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History and Folklore
 In his 1st century AD Materia Medica, the Greek physician
Dioscorides described the African belief that eating sweet basil checks
the pain of a scorpion's sting.
 Ancient Romans used the herb to relieve gas, to counteract poisoning,
as a diuretic, and to stimulate breast-milk production.
Medicinal Action & Uses:
 Sweet basil acts principally on the digestive and nervous systems,
easing flatulence, stomach cramps ,colic, and indigestion.
 It can be used to prevent or relieve nausea (‫ )الغثيان‬and vomiting ,and
helps to kill intestinal worms.
 Sweet basil has a mildly sedative action, proving useful in treating
nervous irritability, fatigue, depression, anxiety ( ‫)القلققق‬, and
insomnia (‫)ارق‬.
 It may also be taken for epilepsy ( ‫)الصقع‬, migraine, and whooping
cough.
 The herb has been traditionally taken to increase breast-milk
production.
 Applied externally, basil leaves act as an insect repellent.
 The juice from the leaves brings relief to insect bites.
 Sweet basil has an established antibacterial action.
Cautions
 The essential oil should not be taken internally.
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22- Olea europaea
Family Oleaceae
Olive ‫الزيتون‬
Plant Description:
-Evergreen tree growing to 10 m. has deeply grooved gray trunk.
- Leaves are small and leathery.
- Flowers occur in clusters, with greenish white color.
- Fruits are green ripening to black.
Habitat and Cultivation:
-Olive trees grow wild in Mediterranean region and are cultivated in
Mediterranean countries and in regions with similar climate in the
Americas.
- The leaves may be gathered as required through out the year, the fruit in
late summer.
- The leaves of wild trees are believed to contain a higher concentration
of active principles.
History and Folklore:
- The olive was probably first cultivated in Crete in about 3500 BC.
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- The tree has many symbolic associations: The branch is a symbol of
peace, and the leaves were worn in a crown by victors in the ancient
Olympic games.
- The leaves are used since that time to clean wounds.
- The oil has been used for ritual anointing in some religions.
Parts Used: Leaves, oil.
Active Constituents:
Olive leaves contain
- oleoropine.
-oleasterol
-leine
-oleic acid (75%): mono unsaturated fatty acid.
Medicinal Actions and Uses:
- Olive leaves lower blood pressure.
- help to improve the function of the circulatory system.
- They are mildly diuretic.
- May be used to treat conditions as cystitis.
-Having some ability to lower blood sugar levels, so leaves have been
taken for diabetes.
- The oil is nourishing
- It improves the balance of fats within the blood.
- It is traditionally taken with lemon juice in teaspoonful doses to treat
gallstones
- The oil has a protective action on the digestive tract.
- It is useful for dry skin.
Research:
Clinical trails have shown that olive leaves lower blood pressure.
Remedy using olive oil.
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For stretch marks in skin: massage olive oil firmly into the affected area
of skin, 1-2 times a day.
Traditional Remedy:
-Used to treat coughing, diabetes, high blood pressure and stones in
kidneys (fruit oil or leaf decoction are taken orally)
-To treat muscle contraction, oil is rubbed on the affecting areas for
muscle contraction
23- Origanum syriacum
Syn Majorana syriaca
Family Labiatae(Lamiaceae)
‫الزعتر‬
Introduction:
* is native to the Mediterranean and is found in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon
and Jordan.
*Origanum syriacum is a medicinal plant widely used in Jordan and
neighboring countries both as a folk remedy and in the food and beverage
industry.
*It represents the fastest, easiest, and most common and popular breakfast
of the Jordanian people.
* Once the plants are harvested after the flowering stage, they are dried
and crushed to get a fine product composed mainly from the leaves and
flowers. The taste of the raw Zaatar is very strong; hence some other
ingredients such as Summaq (made from the fruits of Rhus coriaria),
sesame seeds and salt are added to mellow the taste.
* Origanum syriacum is also known as a medicinal plant for its ability to
relief stomach and intestinal pain
Plant Description:
-It is 30-40 cm high, slightly hairy perennial with its oblong-ovate, 10-15
cm long leaves and with a nice "Thymus - like" smell. The flowers are
white.
- The strains of wild thyme or za`tar in the Middle East (Origanum
syriacum L. and Thymus vulgaris L.) are different from those traditionally
cultivated in Europe and the Americas
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-Recently and due to its importance in the economic use of the country,
Origanum syriacum has become a cultivated crop to cover the need of the
local market.
Active Constituents:
It contains: Thymol, sabinene hydrate, terpinene, cymene and terpinen.
Medicinal Use:
-Origanums have been used to treat many conditions, from digestive
problems, menstrual irregularities and cancer to aches, pains and the
common cold and loss of memory.
Also it is reported as antifungal.
24-Origanum vulgare
Family Lamiaceae (labiatae)
‫ مردقوش‬Oregano
Plant Description:
-Upright perennial herb growing to about 80 cm
-Has square red stems, elliptical leaves and clusters of deep pink flowers.
Habitat & cultivation:
-Oregano is native to Europe and naturalized in the Middle East.
- It is gathered when in flower in summer.
Part Used:
Aerial parts, essential oil
Active Constituents:
-Oregano contains:
- Volatile oil (carvacrol, thymol (antibacterial and antifungal), beta
bisabolene, linalool and borneol)
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-Tannins
- Resin
- Sterols
-Flavonoids
History & Folklore:
-Oregano was considered a cure –all in medieval times.
-It was one of the medicinal plants cultivated by early New England
settlers
Medicinal Action & Uses:
-Oregano helps to settle flatulence and stimulates the flow of bile.
- Strongly antiseptic.
-Treat respiratory conditions such as cough, tonsillitis, bronchitis and
asthma.
- Useful promoter of menstruation.
- The diluted oil can be applied to toothache or painful joints.
Cautions:
-Do not take as a medicine during pregnancy.
-External use may cause irritation of the skin.
- Do not take essential oil internally.
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