Osarumwense Gift IDUBOR

Ocimum gratissimum essential oil comes from the plant, commonly called African basil or Clove basil. It is indigenous to mainly Africa. However, they have been found in other tropical and subtropical parts of the world, like Southern Asia and America (Ezeorba et al., 2024). The African basil is a perennial herb. It is woody at the base with an average height of 1–3 m, many branches, broad leaves and narrow ovate. It is a plant propagated through seed planting and stem cutting and is well-known for its aromatic nature, hence its name, “scent leaf” in Nigeria and some West African countries (Ezeorba et al., 2024). Ocimum gratissimum is known by various names in different parts of the world. In India it is known by its several vernacular names, the most commonly used ones being Vriddhutulsi
(Sanskrit), Ram tulsi (Hindi), Nimma tulasi (Kannada). In the southern part of Nigeria, the plant is called “effinrin-nla” by the Yoruba speaking tribe. It is called “Ahuji” by the Igbos, while in the Northern part of Nigeria, the Hausas call it “Daidoya” (Prabhu et al., 2009).