Abstract
In addition to its distinct aroma and flavor, because of which it is often used in various foods and dishes, basil has recently become increasingly popular because of its rich and beneficial nutritional composition. The presence of several varieties and cultivars makes it a species rich in many specific phytochemicals, which is why it is increasingly used in phytotherapy. The aim of this study was to analyze and valorize the nutrient composition and morphological characteristics of three different basil cultivars (‘Genovese’, ‘Dark Opal’, ‘Minimum’) under two growing methods, conventional in open field and floating hydropon. The results of morphological and chemical characteristics showed a significant influence of cultivar in both growing methods. The cultivar ‘Genovese’ obtained the highest yield in floating hydropon (4.02 kg/m2), followed by cultivars ‘Minimum’ and ‘Dark Opal’ (2.03 and 1.83 kg/m2, respectively), which were 31%, 97%, and 16% higher compared to soil cultivation. Based on the analyzed physicochemical parameters, the highest values of dry matter, total acids, vitamin C, total phenols, and antioxidant capacity were generally determined in all analyzes basil cultivars grown in the open field compared to those grown in floating. Significantly higher values of the analyzed pigment compounds were found for all hydroponically grown basil cultivars.
Highlights
The genus Ocimum is characterized by great variability in both morphological characteristics and chemical composition, as evidenced by numerous cultivars and chemotypes with different growth, yield, and raw material quality characteristics [1,2,3]
Regardless of cultivar, the values of certain morphometric traits were generally higher in the floating system compared to the soil
Different (p ≤ 0.0001) values of dry matter content (DM), total acid (TA) content, and plants wevaesrypfievrefodaryms.eTdhebireafvoerreagfelovawlueersidnugrisntgabgaesilovneg1e7tatJiuonnpee.riod amounted 6.82 (pH)-value were found between all three basil cultivars depending on the studied cultivation method (Table 2)
Summary
The genus Ocimum is characterized by great variability in both morphological characteristics and chemical composition, as evidenced by numerous cultivars and chemotypes with different growth, yield, and raw material quality characteristics [1,2,3]. Basil contains a large amount of essential oil and antioxidant polyphenolic compounds with anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties [5]. Basil leaves contain one of the most strongly identified antioxidants, rosmarinic acid, which, along with other identified polyphenols, gives basil a strong antioxidant effect [7,8] Such a rich and significant nutritional composition of basil is extremely important, especially at a time when we are aware of how nutraceuticals, or phytochemicals as a significant food ingredient, contribute significantly to the body’s fight against many pathogenic bacteria, viruses (SARS-Cov-19), and generally to strengthen the immune system [9]. The specific composition of the phytochemicals as well as their content differ considerably, depending on the cultivars, on genetic characteristics, and strongly on essential abiotic (environmental factors) and biotic factors, agrotechnical measures (cultivation methods, fertilization), and other factors which have the greatest significance for the final content in the plant material [7]
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