There is an urgent need to develop alternative therapies against lethal pancreatic cancer (PC). Ocimum
sanctum (‘‘Holy Basil’’) has been used for thousands of years in traditional Indian medicine, but its
anti-tumorigenic effect remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that extracts of O. sanctum leaves
inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induce apoptosis of PC cells in vitro. The expression
of genes that promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of PC cells including activated ERK-1/2,
FAK, and p65 (subunit of NF-jB), was downregulated in PC cells after O. sanctum treatment. Intraperitoneal
injections of the aqueous extract significantly inhibited the growth of orthotopically transplanted PC
cells in vivo (p < 0.05). Genes that inhibit metastasis (E-cadherin) and induce apoptosis (BAD) were significantly
upregulated in tumors isolated from mice treated with O. sanctum extracts, while genes that promote
survival (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and chemo/radiation resistance (AURKA, Chk1 and Survivin) were
downregulated. Overall, our study suggests that leaves of O. sanctum could be a potential source of novel
anticancer compounds in the future.