Benefit and use of Sweet Basil (Ocimum Basilicum l.) In Ethiopia: -A Review

Abstract

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an aromatic plant directly used for spice, medicine, feed of honeybee, ornamental and also used as raw material for different industries. Sweet basil is most widely cultivated due to its high economical value, popularity and demands among the economically important species of basil. Sweet basil is widely distributed throughout subtropic and tropical regions and currently widely cultivated in India, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Japan, China and Turkey. Commercially, it extensively cultivated for essential oil production in many continents around the world for its numerous economical, medicinal and aromatic values. In Ethiopia, sweet basil is popular spice plant used by population and each Ethiopian ethnic groups have different names for sweet basil throughout the country. Ethiopian farmers conventionally cultivate and use this crop for house consumption and provide for local market mainly as spice. Sweet basil’s aromatic leaf directly used as flavouring agent in different foods and beverages industries. Oil and oleoresin of sweet basil indirectly widely used for flavour and fragrance in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. It also used extensively in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, aromatherapy and food industry. The other use of sweet basil is for production of honey and can be used as ornamental plant. Sweet basil is very important crop that can play great role on the economy of Ethiopian farmers. Generally, Sweet basil plant is can be considered as; easily available, easy to grow, have multipurpose advantages that should be produced as high value crop.