Tulsi (Expanded) for Respiratory Health

Research suggests that Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum/tenuiflorum) may offer a range of benefits for respiratory health, with the available evidence spanning preclinical animal studies, network pharmacology analyses, and narrative and systematic reviews. Studies indicate that Tulsi extracts and its constituent compounds — particularly eugenol, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid — have demonstrated activity against cigarette smoke-induced lung damage and COPD-like conditions, Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, pulmonary hypertension, allergic inflammation, and SARS-CoV-2-related lung injury in animal and cell-based models, with reviewers also noting its traditional validation for asthma and bronchitis. The overall direction of the evidence is consistently supportive, with multiple reviews affirming the pharmacological plausibility of these effects based on Tulsi's anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. However, it is important to note that the body of evidence is heavily weighted toward preclinical research and descriptive reviews rather than controlled human clinical trials, meaning that while the scientific foundation is growing, researchers and reviewers consistently call for more rigorous human studies before firm conclusions about efficacy in people can be drawn.