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Kemangi (Ocimum americanum L.) is an aromatic plant that contains citral and known as anti-inflammatory agent. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil kemangi leaves (Ocimum americanum L.) on carrageenan-induced rat. The male rats were divided into six groups, each consisting of four rats. Group I as negative control was given 0.5% CMC solution, group II as positive control was given diclofenac sodium, group III was given sitral, groups IV, V and VI were given 40 mg/200 g BW, 80 mg/200 g BW, and 160 mg/200 g BW essential oil of Ocimum americanum L., emulsified in 0.5% CMC solution. After 30 minutes of test substance administration, left paw of rats injected by 0.2 mL of carrageenan to induce edema. Edema volume was measured using pletismometer every hour for six hours. The result showed that at dose 160 mg/200 g BW gives the best effect in inhibited the inflamation response 44,83%. There was significant difference (pl0.05) at dose 160 mg/200 g BB to negative control. From this study can be concluded that essential oil kemangi leaves has anti-inflammatory activity.

Kemangi (Ocimum americanum L.) is a well known plant that contains essential oils with citral as a major compound. Citral is reported to have beneficial effect on intestinal motility. This reseach investigated the effect of essential oil of kemangi leaves (Ocimum americanum L.) on male DDY mices intestinal motility. Thirty mices were divided into six groups and each group was pretreated with 0,2 ml of 0,5% CMC (negative control), 1 mg/kg BW of atropine sulfate (positive control), 5 mg/kg BW of citral (comparative control), and three dose variation of volatile oil of kemangi leaves (25 mg/kg BW; 50 mg/kg BW; 100 mg/kg BW) orally. All mices were given charcoal meal suspension 0,2 ml orally, and the animals were sacrificed. The percentage ratio and inhibition were analysed by measure the intestinal transit of charcoal. The results showed that the essential oil of kemangi leaves dose 100 mg/kg BW significantly (p < 0.05) reduced intestinal transit in mice with the percentage inhibition value of 59,79%. This value is not significant different (p> 0.05) compared with citral and atropine sulfate. This research concluded that the essential oil of kemangi leaves has potential effect as antispasmodic agent.