ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF PHYTOCHEMICALS FROM Ocimum sanctum AGAINST CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 (COX-2): A REVIEW

The Ocimum sanctum plant is known to have several benefits for human beings in promoting their good health. It also serves in multidirectional ways by providing therapeutic and medicinal values which is significantly beneficial as it has many phytochemicals which provide some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory values. Anti-inflammatory activity of the phytochemicals or the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity of the phytochemicals from the Ocimum sanctum plant its leaves are also observed in several studies. There are various types of markers that are known for inflammation, in which cyclooxygandenase is identified as it is involved in diverse inflammatory conditions. The two basic forms of COX includes COX-1 and COX-2, out of which COX-2 is highly related to having some role and influence in the inflammation process, and in turn, many studies also suggested that this COX-2 can be inhibited by many phytochemicals present in the Ocimum sanctum plant. Various types of the phytochemical potential of Ocimum sanctum for the anti-inflammatory activity against COX are discussed in the review.