WHICH IS BETTER FOR DISPENSING BASIL BASED PHYTOTHERAPIC: INFUSION OR TINCTURE? DOSE EQUIVALENCE OF REDUCING COMPOUNDS

Whatever the form of dispensing phytotherapics, the equivalence of doses to obtain the same therapeutic effect should be of concern. So, it was sought to establish the dose equivalence of reducing compounds between two forms of basil based phytotherapics (Ocimum basilicum L.), tincture and infusion, evaluating the total reducing capacity with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The plants were purchased in natura at a market in Rio de Janeiro; stalks and leaves were separated; part was dehydrated in a ventilated oven (24h, 50oC). A dehydrated commercial sample was also purchased. Four materials were used: fresh stalks (FS), fresh leaves (FL), dried leaves (DL) and a dried commercial sample (DC). Infusions were prepared by immersing and stirring (10 minutes) the samples in boiling water, followed by filtration. The following solid:solvent (m/v) ratios were used: FS 1:10; FL 1:20, DL and DC 1:50. Tinctures were prepared by immersing the samples in an aqueous ethanol solution (30:70, v/v) for 21 days (FS and FL 1:5, DL and DC 1:10), followed by filtration. The tinctures showed a total content of reducing compounds (TCRC), expressed as mg of GAE/mL, higher than the infusions of the same samples (p<0.0001). However, when these contents were expressed in relation to the mass of the plants (in grams), it was noted that the extraction of reducing compounds from the tinctures was more efficient than that carried out from the infusions in FS (p=0.0027) and DL (p<0.0001), while in FL and CD (p>0.05) there was no difference. As for dose equivalence, the tincture volumes which TCRC corresponds to 240mL of infusion (one cup) were: FS [(29.7±1.12) mL]; FL [(59.5±3.56) mL]; DL [(34.9±3.79 mL]; DC [(51.5±4.59) mL]. Thus, it was observed that to obtain the same therapeutic effect, the high ethanol content conveyed by the tincture makes it less safe than infusion.