ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF OCIMUM SANCTUM ESSENTIAL OIL COLLECTED FROM TAUNSA SHARIF, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The present study was designed to comprehensively investigate the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of Ocimum sanctum essential oil, obtained from plants cultivated in the Taunsa Sharif region of Pakistan. The antibacterial potential of the extracted oil was evaluated against a panel of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi. Antibacterial assays were performed using both agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods to provide complementary insights into the oil’s inhibitory efficacy. Results demonstrated that the essential oil produced clear, dose-dependent zones of inhibition ranging from 12.4 mm to 25.2 mm in diameter. Furthermore, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined to be within the range of 16 to 64 µg/mL, underscoring the potent antimicrobial action of the oil. In addition to its antimicrobial efficacy, the anti-inflammatory properties of the oil were explored using a cellular model of inflammation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were employed as an in vitro system to mimic inflammatory responses commonly triggered during bacterial infections. Pretreatment of macrophages with varying concentrations of the oil (5–20 µg/mL) led to a significant, concentration-dependent suppression of nitric oxide (NO) production, a key pro-inflammatory mediator. At the highest tested dose, the oil reduced NO levels by up to 60% compared to LPS-stimulated controls, demonstrating a strong modulatory effect on macrophage-mediated inflammatory signaling. This suggests that bioactive constituents of O. sanctum essential oil not only target microbial pathogens but also exert immunomodulatory effects that may alleviate inflammation associated with infection. These findings indicate that O. sanctum essential oil possesses broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, capable of targeting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Collectively, the outcomes of this study provide compelling evidence that O. sanctum essential oil sourced from Taunsa Sharif exhibits significant dual biological activity, encompassing both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.