Identification and analysis of chemical components of methanolic leaf extracts of <i>Ocimum tenuiflorum</i> L. and <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> Bert. using chromatography and assessing their antiproliferative efficacy in root tips of <i>Allium cepa</i> L

<i>Ocimumm tenuiflorum</i> L. (<i>Lamiaceae</i>) and <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> Bert. (<i>Asteraceae</i>) are two highly therapeutic plants with a wide range of uses. In the present study, we analysed various chemical components present in the methanolic leaf extracts of both of the plants employing chromatography (GC-MS) and assessed antiproliferative activity of different doses of methanolic leaf extracts in root apical meristems of <i>Allium cepa</i> L. In the GC-MS study, 56 components were identified in <i>Ocimum tenuiflorum</i> and 40 components in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>. The young root tips of <i>Allium cepa</i> L. were treated with different concentrations of methanolic extracts i.e. 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 10% (<i>v/v</i>) with a control set and the results suggested that <i>Ocimum tenuiflorum</i> had stronger antiproliferative potential than <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> in all the doses. The highest concentration (10%) of methanolic leaf extract exhibited the maximum mito-inhibitory activity.