title: Vasorelaxant and anti-platelet aggregation effects of aqueous Ocimum basilicum extract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this work the endothelium-dependant vasorelaxant and anti-platelet aggregation activities of an aqueous extract from Ocimum basilicum were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The vasorelaxant effect was undertaken in thoracic aorta from three experimental groups of rats: one of them (NCG) fed with standard diet, the second (HCG) with hypercholesterolemic diet (HCD) and the third (BTG) with hypercholesterolemic diet together with an intragastric administration of Ocimum basilicum extract at a dose of 0.5 g/kg body weight for a period of 10 weeks. The in vitro anti-platelet aggregation of Ocimum basilicum extract was studied using thrombin (0.5 U/ml) and ADP (5 microM) as agonists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that the HCD statistically decreases vascular relaxation in HCG compared to NCG (p<0.001) and increases the vascular responses to phenylephrine (p<0.02). Ocimum basilicum extract exerts a significant vasorelaxant effect at 10(-5) M (p<0.01) and 10(-4) M carbachol (p=0.001). The plant extract also tends to suppress the elevated contractions induced by HCD (p=0.05). The extract inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation by 13%, 28.2%, 30.5%, 44.7% and 53% at a dose of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 g/l, respectively. Thrombin-induced platelet activation was also reduced by 15%, 23%, 40%, 38.4%, and 42% at the same doses of extract described above.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of Ocimum basilicum as medicinal plant could be beneficial for cardiovascular system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed I, 60000 Oujda, Morocco. amrani137@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Souliman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amrani
authors.forename: Hicham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harnafi
authors.forename: Dounia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gadi
authors.forename: Hassane
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mekhfi
authors.forename: Abdelkhaleq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legssyer
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martin-Nizard
authors.forename: Lisardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bosca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D018649:Ocimum basilicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014867:Water