Location: Natural Products Utilization Research
Project Number: 6060-41000-015-002-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2015
End Date: Aug 31, 2020
Objective:
1. Assess interspecific variations in antihyperglycaemic activity among Ocimum species.
2. Determine the mode of action of antihyperglycaemic activity of Ocimum spp. using proven cell culture techniques and animal models.
3. Identify compound(s) in Ocimum spp. associated with hypoglycemic activity through bioassay-guided isolation procedures.
4. Develop sustainable organic production systems to enable commercial cultivation of basil varieties with known bioactivity.
Approach:
Type-2 diabetes is a major disease currently afflicting an estimated 26 million Americans and costs the US an estimated $245 billion annually. It is an epidemic among African Americans in general and Native American Indians in particular. Among several plant species with purported antihyperglycemic properties, basil (Ocimum spp.) has been validated for their hypoglycemic properties using laboratory animals. However, the mode of action has not been determined nor the active compound(s) associated with such activity has/have been identified. This project aims to screen a large number of Ocimum species for potential antihyperglycaemic activity, determine mode of action of such a bioactivity, identify and isolate bioactive compound(s); and develop sustainable organic production practices for commercial cultivation of selected species.
