Holy basil
Holy basil is Ocimum tenuiflorum (syn. Ocimum sanctum), a basil grown widely in India, where it is called tulsi. The ingredient is the dried leaf or aerial parts, sold cut for tea, milled to powder, or as water or hydroalcoholic extracts. Extracts are standardized to markers such as ursolic acid, eugenol or total polyphenols, depending on the supplier.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried, cut leaf and herb for tea blends, sometimes sold by variety (Rama, Krishna).
Dried, milled leaf for capsules and powders; not standardized.
Dry extract sold on ursolic acid, eugenol or polyphenols, by the method the supplier names.
Leaf or extract from certified organic farms, common for tea-grade material.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep leaf and extract sealed, dry and away from light and heat, which drive off the aromatic oil. Store cut leaf apart from strongly scented materials. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
Aroma, oil content and markers vary with variety, harvest and drying. Record variety if stated, plant part and supplier lot, and check each COA.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
Health Canada's natural health product monograph for holy basil (leaf) lists the dried leaf of Ocimum tenuiflorum as the source material.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00543) covers the seeds and aerial parts of Ocimum tenuiflorum, listing the aerial parts as not novel in food and the seeds as a novel food not yet authorised.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Hyderabad, India
Botanic Healthcare is a Hyderabad, India, maker of standardized and organic herbal extracts, branded botanical ingredients and liposomal ingredient grades for supplement and food companies.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include cut leaf (tea cut), leaf powder, standardized extract and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity (HPTLC), marker assay, heavy metals, microbiology, pesticide residues and moisture and foreign matter, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep leaf and extract sealed, dry and away from light and heat, which drive off the aromatic oil. Store cut leaf apart from strongly scented materials. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
Health Canada's natural health product monograph for holy basil (leaf) lists the dried leaf of Ocimum tenuiflorum as the source material. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00543) covers the seeds and aerial parts of Ocimum tenuiflorum, listing the aerial parts as not novel in food and the seeds as a novel food not yet authorised.
Request a free listing for the ingredients you make or distribute. No paid placement.