Iron-urea nano-complex improves bioactive compounds in essential oils of Ocimum basilicum L.

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the influences of [Fe-urea] nano-complex on phytochemical compounds, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial potential of the essential oil of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Three different levels (0, 0.1 and 0.2 %) of Fe-EDDHA, urea, and Fe-urea nano-complex were sprayed at 1) four leaved stage and 2) previous the flowering inception of sweet basil seedlings. The highest amount of the major compounds in the essential oil, epi-α-cadinol (27.09 ± 2.5 %) and trans-α-bergamotene (14.93 ± 1.77 %), were achieved by the application of 0.2 % n[Fe-urea]. Application of 0.2 % n[Fe-urea] in comparison with control treatment decreased the n-Decane quantity significantly (by 99.1 %). Amongst the flavonoids and phenolic compounds, rosmarinic acid was the prevailing compounds in basil’s essential oils. The highest amount of rosmarinic acid (5.81 ± 0.18 mg g−1) was found in 0.2 % [Fe-urea] nano-complex treatment. The highest antioxidant activity (21.98 ± 1.3 mg AAE g−1) was found in n[Fe-urea] treated plants. Also, The lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans were 0.042 ± 0.008, 0.016 ± 0.003, 0.238 ± 0.024, 0.166 ± 0.025, 0.101 ± 0.021 and 0.129 ± 0.011 mg mL-1 of essential oil derived from treated basils with 0.2 % n[Fe-urea] foliar spraying, respectively. The results revealed that nanoparticles can provide new prospects in medicinal plant production and the improvement of pharmaceutical properties of medicinal plants.