*Co esponding au ho : Ama achi Chukwuma O o
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0.
Phy ochemical Cons i uen s o Ocimum g a issimum ex ac and i s e ec agains
gas o-en e ic bac e ia on he in es inal linings o an albino Wis e a s
Ama achi Chukwuma O o 1, *, Toyosi Debo ah Adebola 2 and Chizoba Enemchukwu 2
1 Depa men o Pha maceu ics and Pha maceu ical Technology, Uni e si y o Po -Ha cou , Ri e s S a e, Nige ia.
2 Depa men o Pha maceu ics and Indus ial Pha macy, Madonna Uni e si y Nige ia.
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 174-179
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 28 No embe 2024; e ised on 06 Janua y 2025; accep ed on 08 Janua y 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wjbphs.2025.21.1.1104
Abs ac
En e i is is he in lamma ion o he small in es ines which could lead o dia hea. Bac e ial gas oen e i is is a diges i e
sys em p oblem caused by bac e ia. The symp oms include nausea, omi ing, e e , abdominal c amps and dia hea.
These can be ea ed wi h an ibio ics, bu in ecen imes, especially in economically de eloping coun ies like Nige ia,
hese d ugs ha e become ex emely cos ly esul ing o he low pu chasing powe o he g ea e populace. An ibio ic
esis ance due o abuse also necessi a ed a g owing need o al e na i e and a o dable sou ce o an i-bac e ia
medica ion. Ocimum g a issimum lea es we e collec ed, selec ed and pul e ized, i was mace a ed in e hanol o 3days
wi h in e media e agi a ion, il e ed, and concen a ed. The ex ac was subjec ed o LD50. Phy ochemical analysis we e
done on he plan s lea es o check o seconda y me aboli es. A pilo s udy o E.coli was ca ied ou wi h 8 albino a s
g ouped in o ou . Di e en i a ions o E.coli we e adminis e ed in ape i oneal o he a s o de e mine he minimum
amoun o E.coli capable o in ec ing he a s, he s ool sample was inocula ed in a s e ile b o h and hen cul u ed in an
EMB aga pla e selec i e o E.coli. A e 24 hou s cul u e, a 0.8 mL was selec ed as i showed he leas colony. The
ex ac o Ocimum g a issimum was o mula ed using 0.5%w/ , 1.25%w/ and 0.9% no mal saline as con ol in G oup
A, B and C espec i ely. These we e used o ea he 20 albino wis a a s g ouped A o D (a n = 5). G oup D Nega i e
con ol was no in ec ed wi h 0.8 mL o E.coli b o h. The esul s showed ha Ocimum g a issimum is ich in la onoids,
annins, saponins, esins, e penoids, alkaloids, a s and oils. Pic o ial esul s o he his opa hology shown ha albino
a s o g oup A and C ha e no mal o mild in es inal ac , no e up ed o dis o ed bu ha i is dose dependen as g oup
B wi h 1.25%w/ ex ac es o ed he in es inal linings o he albino a s o ha o he Nega i e con ol which was no
in ec ed in ape i oneal. Resul s p o ed ha Ocimum g a issimum has ac i i y agains gas oen e i is bac e ia E. coli
and can se e as an al e na i e in ea men o bac e ia en e i is as i is eadily a ailable and a o dable.
Keywo ds: Ocimum g a issimum; Gas oen e i is; Phy ochemical; In es inal Linings; His opa hology; Ex ac
1. In oduc ion
Gas oen e i is is a diges i e sys em p oblem caused by bac e ia. I can a ec one pe son o g oup o pe sons who a e
he same ood, no mally called ood poisoning [1]. The symp oms o acu e bac e ial in ec ion a e usually om mild,
mode a e o se e e cases which causes de e io a ion o he pa ien ’s condi ion. I has symp oms like omi ing, se e e
abdominal pain, e e , in es inal bleeding- esul ing in bloody s ool and dia hea [2].
One o he mos common causes o in es inal bac e ia a e Esche ichia coli, Salmonella species, Shigella species and
Campylobac e jejuni. Some symp oms depends on he ype o bac e ia ha caused he sickness and could be mild
discom o o se e e li e- h ea ening complica ions such as dehyd a ion, elec oly e imbalance [3].
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 174-179
175
T ea men o gas oen e i is includes aking in lo s o luids, manage dia hea, and ge ing plen y o es . Child en unde
he age o i e yea s a e mos ly a he isk o dehyd a ion, he e o e equi es close moni o ing. The use o an ibio ics is
only ecommended in se e e cases [1].
Recen s udies ha e also explo ed he an ioxidan p ope ies o Ocimum g a issimum, which a e la gely a ibu ed o i s
high con en o phenolic compounds and la onoids [4] Oxida i e s ess is known o exace ba e in lamma o y esponses
in he gas oin es inal ac , and an ioxidan s play a c ucial ole in mi iga ing his damage. By educing oxida i e s ess,
Ocimum g a issimum may help p o ec in es inal issues and p omo e healing as s a ed in Ajayi e al., (2019) [5]. This
makes i a p omising candida e no only o ea ing acu e dia hea bu also o managing ch onic gas oin es inal
condi ions. S udies ha e shown ha Ocimum g a issimum ha e di e en phy ochemicals p esen in he plan o which
include; e penes, la onoids, s e ols, alkaloids, glycosyla e, saponin, polyphenols, ola ile compounds and esin [6].
In his esea ch, he e ec o Ocimum g a issimum agains he e ec o Esche ichia coli on he in es inal linings o he
albino wis a a s we e analyzed, and compa ed o he in es inal linings o a non-in ec ed albino a s.
2. Ma e ials and me hods
2.1. Ma e ials
Ocimum g a issimum lea es, E hanol (Cen al d ug house L d, India), Esche ichia coli (Pha maceu ical mic obiology lab.
Facul y o Pha macy Madonna Uni e si y), Albino Wis a a s (Pha macology Animal a m o Madonna Uni e si y),
Dis illed wa e , EMB aga , s e ile b o h, Analy ical Balance (Shimadzu ATX224 USA), wa e ba h (Medline Scien i ic),
incuba o , Manual blende , Weighing balance (Ohaus Co p, Pine B ook, NJ USA), Ro o E apo a o (Ba ns ead, UK).
2.2. Me hods
Twen y albino wis a a s o bo h sex (90-100g) we e pu chased and acclima ized o no mal labo a o y condi ion o
ou weeks p io o s udy, app op ia e eed and clean wa e we e gi en o hem. The Ins i u ion’s E hical Commi ee
app o ed he p o ocol o his s udy unde he e hical numbe MAU/DRC/HD/E/PHARM/2024/020 and he animals
we e handled acco ding o guideline o Na ional Ins i u e o Heal h Guide o Ca e and Use o Labo a o y Animal.
Figu e 1 Pic u e o Ocimum g a issimum plan
The plan Ocimum g a issimum was bough om oil mill ma ke in Po -Ha cou Ri e s S a e, i was iden i ied by a
Pha macognos in Madonna Uni e si y, inspec ed and selec ed ou o discolo a ion and mo ling o he lea es, he
lea es we e sepa a ed om he s ems wi h hands, adequa ely so ed ou , cleaned and ai d ied unde a shade. I was
coa sely milled using a manual blende , hen s o ed in an ai igh con aine o u u e use. A 300 g we e mace a ed in
500 mL o e hanol o h ee days wi h in e mi en agi a ion e e y 24 hou s in e al.
2.3. Phy ochemical analysis
A weighed amoun o he powde ed milled sample was subjec ed o phy ochemical sc eening using s ipula ed
p ocedu e desc ibed by Ha bo ne (1998) [7], T ease and E ans (2009)[8].
Tes o alkaloids, la onoids, Saponins, ca bohyd a e, annins, e penoids, educing suga , a s and oils, ca bohyd a e,
s e oid, esin, glycosides and acidic compounds we e ca ied ou [9].
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176
2.4. Fo Glycoside
50mg o he aqueous Ocimum g a issimum lea ex ac was hyd olyzed wi h 5ml concen a ed HCL o 2 hou s in wa e
ba h and il e ed. A 2 mL o hyd olyzed we e il e ed, hyd oxyla e we e aken in a es ube and 3 mL o chlo o o m was
added o he es ube. The appea ance o pink colo which indica ed he p esence o glycoside [10], [11].
2.5. Pilo S udy
A pilo s udy was ca ied ou o de e mine he minimum amoun o he E. coli capable o causing an in ec ion in he
albino wis a a s. This was done a e in ec ing he a s wi h he s ipula ed amoun o E.coli b o h, a e 24 hou s, s ool
om each g oup was pu in o ou di e en es ube con aining a s e ile b o h and was s icken on an EMB aga pla e
and incuba ed o a pe iod o 24 hou s.
A e 24 hou s, g ow h was seen in g oups 2 o 4 indica ing he p esence o E.coli in he s ool o he albino wis a a s.
G oup 2 (0.8 mL) was selec ed as he bes and leas concen a ion o cause an in ec ion in he a s. A 0.8 mL was used
o in ec he wis a a s ia in ape i oneal.
Table 1 The Pilo Tes
Albino Wis a a s
G oup 1
G oup 2
G oup 3
G oup 4
Amoun o B o h (mL)
0.4
0.8
1.0
2.0
A 20 a s o bo h sex we e di ided in o ou g oups o ou a s each (n-5) and was labelled g oup A o D espec i ely,
in sepa a e cages lined wi h whi e pape , and ea men was conduc ed as ollows. G oups A o C we e in ec ed wi h E.
coli ia in ape i oneal, while G oup D was no in ec ed and se ed as Nega i e con ol. This p ocedu e was epea ed
o a pe iod o 3days. The animals we e obse ed o he p esence o dia hea de ined as mo e equen passage o s ool
han he no mal o passage o loose and wa e y s ool.
A e he obse a ion, he animals we e sac i iced o e alua e he e ec o he E.coli on he gas o-In es inal ac (GIT)
o he Wis a a s and o e alua e i Ocimum g a issimum was able o inhibi i s e ec [12].
Table 2 The an ibac e ial ac i i ies o Ocimum g a issimum agains E. coli bac e ia
G oups
A
B
C
Fo mula ion con en
Ex ac o Ocimum g a issimum
Ex ac o Ocimum g a issimum
No mal saline
Ex ac amoun (g)
0.2
0.5
-
% age s eng h
0.5%w/
1.25%w/
0.9%w/
3. Resul s
Table 3 The esul o he quali a i e phy ochemical sc eening o he plan lea Ocimum g a issimum
Phy ochemicals
Resul
Alkaloid
+
Fla onoid
++
Saponin
++
Te penoid
+++
Reducing suga
+
Tannin
+++
Fa s and Oil
++
Acidic compound
+
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 174-179
177
S e oid
+++
Resin
+++
Glycoside
_
Table 4 The His ology Resul o he H & E s aining on he in es inal mucosa lining
G oups
His opa hology pic o ial
Repo
A
Ex ac (0.5%w/ ) Pho omic og aph (H&E
X400) o he mucosa wi h mild in es inal gland
a ophy and mucosa cells degene a ion
(a ows)
Diagnosis: Mucosa o he small in es ine
appea s mildly dis o ed.
B
Ex ac (1.25%w/ ) Pho omic og aph (H&E
X400) o he small in es ine showing he
mucosa wi h in es inal glands, Pane h and
en e oendoc ine cells (a ows)
Diagnosis: Mucosa o he small in es ine
appea s no mal.
C
(No mal saline) Pho omic og aph (H&E X400)
o he small in es ine o he mucosa showing
In es inal gland a ophy and mild
mononuclea ac i i ies (a ows).
Diagnosis: Dis o ion o he small in es ine.
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178
D
(Nega i e Con ol) Pho omic og aph (H&E
X400) o he small in es ine showing
epi helium lining wi h goble cells;
en e oendoc ine and pane h cells (a ows).
Diagnosis: Mucosa o he small in es ine
appea s no mal.
4. Discussion
This esea ch has shown he an ibac e ial e ec agains E.coli which inhibi ed i s de imen al ac ion on he in es inal
wall o he albino wis a a s. Also he s udies shown a dose dependen ac i i y o he plan as concen a ions o
0.5%w/ did no comple ely inhibi he E.coli as some dis o ion o he cells we e seen unlike 1.25%w/ concen a ion
which comple ely neu alized he bac e ial e ec o he E.coli on he in es inal linings. These esul s con i med i s use
by ancien people in he ea men o di e en ailmen s [12].
The ac i i y o O. g a issimum was due o ich phy ochemical cons i uen s p esen in he plan as shown om he
phy ochemical analysis [9]. The esul s also indica ed ha ou ex ac has an i-bac e ial ac i i y and is sa e o use in
gas o-in es inal in ec ions and en e i is as con i med his ologically whe e he small in es ine showed no dis o ion,
no mal in es inal linings when compa ed wi h ha o he Nega i e con ol g oup D which we e no in ec ed wi h he
gas o-en e ic bac e ia. This indica es ha O. g a issimum a 1.25% w/ concen a ion is e ec i e, sa e and can be used
as an al e na i e sou ce in gas o-en e ic bac e ia ea men .
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Acknowledgemen
Au ho s app ecia e he depa men o Pha maceu ics and Indus ial Pha macy depa men and animal a m o Madonna
Uni e si y, depa men o Pha maceu ical chemis y Uni e si y o Po -Ha cou who assis ed in he success ul
comple ion o he wo k.
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es
S a emen o e hical app o al
E hical app o al was sough and ob ained acco ding o he Ins i u ion’s E hical commi ee.
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