Basil Essential Oil Research Articles

Basil Essential Oil and Its Nanoemulsion Mitigate Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Rat Model with Special Reference to Gut Microbiota.

The present research evaluated the protective effect of basil essential oil nanoemulsion (BNO) and its parent basil essential oil (BO) towards steatohepatitis. Chemical composition of BO was assessed followed by formulation into different BNOs using the low energy spontaneous emulsification technique. An ideal formula of BNO was selected among the others based on its ultra-fine particle size (15.42 nm) and physical stability at 25-37°C, which was then tested in steatohepatitis rat model along with BO. Rats were divided into four groups, the first was fed on balanced diet (C), and the other groups were maintained on high fructose saturated fat diet deficient in choline to induce steatohepatitis, one of such groups served as control steatohepatitis (SC), the other groups received daily oral dose of BO and BNO, respectively. Microbiota (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) were counted in colon content and their ratio (F/B) was calculated. Liver fat, plasma lipid profile, plama interlukin-6, plasma lipopolysaccharides and plasma and colon content of lipocaline were assessed with histopathological examination of liver and colon. Results showed that the major volatile components of BO were linalool (60.9 %), eugenol (5.1 %) and eucalyptol (9.5%). SC group exhibited significant increase in liver lipids, plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol and significant reduction in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) compared to C group. Significant increase in plasma TC/HDL-C, interlukin-6, and lipocaline and F/B ratio and lipocaline in colon content were demonstrated in SC group without changes in plasma lipopolysaccharides compared to C. Histopathology of SC group showed liver fatty degeneration and fibroblasts activation while the colon demonstrated erosion and mucosal epithelium detachment. Treatment with either BNO or BO showed improvement compared to SC group. BNO was superior in reducing F/B ratio, liver lipids and histopathological changes. BO was more efficient in reducing TC, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. It is concluded that BO and BNO reduced the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in rat model. Gut microbiota in relation to steatohepatitis and related new therapies needs further investigations.

Fertilizer Application in Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Cultivation in Greece

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is cultivated in many countries as an aromatic herb because of its essential oils that have many uses. In our study, nitrogen application at three levels and a tester was used, and effects on quantity and essential oil characteristics were recorded. The purpose was to explore nitrogen effects on essential oil of basil in Greece. Two commercial cultivars of basil were used: Red Rubin and Lettuce Leaf. The experiment conducted was a replicated fully randomized complete block split-split plot with the two varieties as the main factor, split factor was nitrogen levels (four rates) and split in time factor was sampling time (six dates). Nine characteristics were studied (chlorophyll content measurements-CCM, foliar surface, plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, leaves/stems ratio for fresh weight, leaves/stems ratio for dry weight, essential oil content of flowers and essential oil content of leaves). Basil plants were generally favoured by nitrogen application and many characteristics were improved. Especially for foliar surface, chlorophyll content, plant height and biomass weight (for both cultivars). Red Rubin exploited better nitrogen application in comparison to Lettuce leaf, especially for the second level. On the opposite, Lettuce leaf showed better essential oil production. The two cultivars differed also in the composition of essential oils with impact on essential oil properties. Finally, the biological cycle was accelerated for both cultivars because of increased metabolism after nitrogen application. Genotype × environment interaction was present in many cases, except for foliar surface, leaves/stem ratio and essential oil content of leaves.

Essential Oil Content and Composition of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum.L) Under Integrated Nutrient Management

Field experiments were conducted at ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru during Kharif season of 2015 and 2016 with nine treatments and three replications in a randomized block design to find out the effects of integrated nutrient management on Quantity and Quality of essential oil of basil (Ocimum basilicum) . The results revealed that combined application of recommended FYM (10 t ha-1) and NPK (160:80:80 kg ha-1) registered the highest oil yield in the main crop (211.94, 187.46 l ha-1) and in ratoon (144.36, 70.81 l ha-1) during 2015, 2016, respectively. For oil quality, the main constituents of basil essential oil have been reported and the result showed that chemical compositions of the essential oil for sweet basil were affected by fertilizers in the maincrop and ratoon during two years of the experiment. In general, application of NPK (160:80:80 kg ha-1) + FYM (10 t ha-1) i.e., T9 recorded the best quality. The results obtainedfrom this study demonstrated that integrated nutrient management can maximize nutrient absorption as a result of increased soil fertility which reflected on oil yield and quality.

Delta- and mu-opioid pathways are involved in the analgesic effect of Ocimum basilicum L in mice.

Ocimum basilicum L. is a perennial herb that has been used in traditional Asian Indian medicine for thousands of years as a natural anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, diuretic, and analgesic. The present study was conducted to investigate the analgesic effects of basil essential oil (BEO) in inflammatory pain models and identify underlying mechanisms. We further investigated whether BEO affects physiological pain and motor coordination. The analgesic effects of BEO were assessed in various mouse experimental pain models using formalin, acetic acid, heat, and carrageenan as stimuli. BEO was administered by intraperitoneal injection or inhalation. The involvement of various pathways in the analgesic effect of BEO was assessed by pretreating mice with selective pharmacological inhibitors, administered intraperitoneally. Opioid pathways were tested using the κ-opioid antagonist 5'-guanidinonaltrindole (GNTI; 0.3mg/kg), δ-opioid antagonist naltrindole (NTD; 5mg/kg) and μ-opioid antagonist naloxone (NAL; 8mg/kg); nitric oxide (NO) pathways were tested using the NO synthase inhibitor N-nitro l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 37.5mg/kg) and NO precursor L-arginine (L-Arg; 600mg/kg); and KATP channel pathways were tested using the ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker, glibenclamide-hippuric acid (GHA, 2mg/kg). Potential effects of BEO on motor coordination were assessed using a rotarod test. BEO exerted analgesic effects in all pain models. Notably, pretreatment with naltrindole, naloxone, or L-arginine significantly reduced the analgesic effects of BEO in the formalin test. BEO increased mean withdrawal latencies in a thermal plantar test at a high dose, but not at lower doses. BEO had no effect on motor coordination. Our findings indicate that the analgesic effects of BEO are primarily mediated by delta- and mu-opioid pathways and further suggest that BEO has potential for development as an analgesic agent for the relief of inflammatory pain.

Iron nano-complexes and iron chelate improve biological activities of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

In this study, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil (EO) in response to different Fe sources (Fe-arginine, Fe-glycine, and Fe-histidine nano-complexes and Fe-EDDHA) were examined. EO samples were predominantly constituted by the phenylpropanoid methyl chavicol (53–89.5%). Application of Fe nano-complexes significantly increased the occurrence and concentration of sesquiterpenes, while decreased the content of oxygenated monoterpenes. Antioxidant activity of basil EOs was evaluated using free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Nitric oxide, H2O2 and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances scavenging assays, and in all assays the highest and the lowest activities were recorded in basils supplied with Fe-histidine nano-complex (1.02, 1.62, 2.21, 3.22 mg mL-1) and control (3.89, 4.89, 5.52, 6.79 mg mL-1), respectively. Fe-histidine nano-complex was the most effective treatment to inhibit fungal (C. albicans: 0.058 mg mL-1; A. niger: 0.066 mg mL-1), Gram-negative (E. coli: 0.181 mg mL-1; S. typhimurium: 0.163 mg mL-1) and Gram-positive (B. subtilis: 0.033 mg mL-1; S. aureus: 0.002 mg mL-1) growth. In conclusion, application of iron nano-complexes significantly altered biological and pharmacological characteristics of basil EOs. Our results are quite encouraging since EOs exhibited potent antioxidant effect and antimicrobial activities.

Basil essential oil as an alternative to commercial biocides against fungi associated with black stains in mural painting

In northern Portugal it was identified that some mural paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries disclose a chromatic alteration in the form of black stains possibly of microbiological origin. In the search for its cause, samples were collected and microorganisms were isolated from selected areas of the pictorial sets of three case studies that displayed dark pigmentation.Four representative fungal isolates were selected due to their pigmentation and growth characteristics – Alternaria alternata, Alternaria tenuissima, TZ10.2.2 (possibly Pestaloptia sp.) and TZ8.2.2 (possibly Penicillium sp.).An attempt was made to encounter an innovative environmentally innocuous and green safe alternative biocide to replace the chemical-based toxic compounds currently in use. Essential oils with confirmed antifungal potential and seldom employed in the conservation of cultural heritage and even less in mural painting (Rosmarinus officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare, Citrus lemmon, Ocimum basilicum and Salvia officinalis), were tested against commercial biocides (Benzalkonium chloride, Preventol R80, CaSoPaL® and Durolith®), to evaluate their in vitro efficacy and the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration.Basil was able to inhibit growth on all tested strains at 1.25 μl ml−1. From the commercial biocides, Benzalkonium chloride and Preventol R80 were the ones with the best performance but needed higher concentrations than basil to achieve the same result enabling this essential oil a useful alternative to commercial biocides.The literature regarding the use of essential oils in mural paintings is, apart from two known authors, practically non-existent making it a novel approach.

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Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of essential oils and extracts of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) plants

The present study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oils and ethanol extracts of Ocimum basilicum L. obtained from Assiut, Minia and BeniSuef of Egypt. The major constituents of sweet basil essential oils from three locations were linalool, estragole, methyl cinnamate, bicyclosesquiphellandrene, eucalyptol, α-bergamotene, eugenol, γ-cadinene and germacrene D by the method of GC–MS. The relative concentration of these compounds varies. The basil extracts contained appreciable levels of total phenolic contents and exhibited good DPPH radical scavenging capacity higher than that of essential oils. The highest TPC (82.45 mg PE/g) and maximum radical scavenging activity with IC50 value (1.29 mg/mL) was obtained from Minia basil extract. High correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of basil extracts was observed. High variation in free radical scavenging activity of essential oils was found. The essential oil from Minia basil showed high activity in DPPH radical scavenging with IC50 (11.23 mg/mL) and contained the highest content of phenolic (41.3 mg PE/g). On contrary, low correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of basil essential oils from different locations. The results of the present investigation demonstrated significant variations in the antioxidant activities of sweet basil essential oils and extracts from Egypt.

Peppermint and Basil Essential Oils: Chemical Composition, in vitro Antioxidant Activity and in vivo Estimation of Skin Irritation

The purpose of the present study was to determine chemical composition and antioxidant activity of commercial peppermint (Aetheroleum menthae piperitae) and basil (Aetheroleum basilici) essential oils as well as their effects on skin biophysical parameters. The qualitative and quantitative composition of essential oils was determined by GC-MS and GC-FID spectrometry, respectively; their antioxidant activity by using DPPH assay and the change of skin biophysical parameters after topical application of oils by non-invasive in vivo bioengineering. The most abundant component in peppermint oil was menthol (45.4 %) while basil oil contained linalool (39.9 %) in the highest percentage. According to the EC50 values, basil oil showed better antioxidant activity than peppermint essential oil (0.002 mg/mL vs. 58.41 mg/mL). In vivo measurements revealed the absence of skin irritation after applying the samples of essential oil under occlusion, which is important for their future topical application.

Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Meat Coated with Microencapsulated Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) and Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oils Mixture

Microencapsulated essential oils (EOs) are increasingly used to protect the safety of foods due to their natural origin. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical composition of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) (MOEO) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) (BEO) EOs, their combined effect against E. coli O157:H7, Lactobacillus plantarum, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Pseudomonas fragi, and their effect on microbiological and physicochemical properties of coated pork meat. EOs chemical composition was determined by GC/MS, their microencapsulated mixture (4 mg MOEO/mL/11 mg BEO/mL) was added to a filmogenic dispersion. Fluorescent probes were used to study the antimicrobial filmogenic active dispersion (FD) effect. Pork meat pieces were coated without microencapsulated EOs (CC), using FD (AC), or uncoated (C), vacuum packed and stored 28 days at 4 °C. Thymol (28.9%) and linalool (23.7%) were the major components of MOEO and BEO, respectively. The cell membrane of all bacteria was damaged by contact with FD. FD-coated samples (AC) exhibited the lowest concentration of 2-thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) (0.027 ± 0.001 mg malonaldehyde/kg meat) and natural microbiota growth, while odor and color were the most accepted by untrained judges (range > 6). Coatings added with microencapsulated EOs mixture are a natural food preservation alternative to increase the shelf life of refrigerated meat products.

DETERMINATION OF SOME AGRONOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ESSENTIAL OIL VARIATION IN DIFFERENT LOCAL Ocimum basilicum L. ECOTYPES UNDER SEMI-ARID CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The study aimed to determine agronomic characteristics and essential oil components of different basil ecotypes in semi-arid climatic conditions of South Eastern Anatolia, Diyarbakir, Turkey. Two-year harvest data about fresh and dry herb yield, dry leaf yield, essential oil content and its components from the plants of year 2015 and 2016 was analyzed in this study. Essential oil components were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The resulting outcomes demonstrated that both ecotypes and harvests had important effects on fresh and dry herb, dry leaf yield and essential oil contents of sweet basil. The highest dry leaf yield was noted from green leafy ecotypes and from second harvest stage. Twenty-three constituents were detected in the essential oil of O. basilicum ecotypes. The main components of basil essential oil were linalool, methyl chavicol, neral, geranial and methyl cinnamate that differed according to ecotypes and harvests during experimental years 2015 and 2016. Purple leafy basil ecotypes were determined as linalool rich, while greenish leaf ecotypes were abundant in methyl chavicol. Silbe – green ecotype contains higher neral and geranial levels than the other ecotypes. It was concluded that basil plant could be grown successfully and harvested two or more times to prefer for maximum dry leaf yield and essential oil contents under semi-arid climatic conditions.

Insecticidal Properties of Ocimum basilicum and Cymbopogon winterianus against Acanthoscelides obtectus, Insect Pest of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.).

The bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), causes severe post-harvest losses in the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. The control of this insect is still poor and involves the use of conventional insecticides. There is an increasing demand in the search for new active substances and products for pest control towards reduction of adverse effects on human health and the environment. The protection of grains with alternative products, such as essential oils, is a possible alternative to meet the needs described above. Therefore, this investigation evaluated the applications of basil, Ocimum basilicum, and citronella, Cymbopogon winterianus, essential oils for A. obtectus control. These essential oils significantly reduced the bean weight losses and the number of beans damaged by A. obtectus at higher doses than 60 or 120 μL/sample. The number of holes per bean did not differ between the doses of basil essential oil, not even at the dose of 60 μL, while it was higher at 120 μL, probably due to a lower capacity of movement of the insects treated with this dose and/or the oil’s direct or indirect effects on the insects. Basil and citronella oils exhibited similar patterns of insecticidal activity over the insect, both directly in adult insects or indirectly over bean seeds. These essential oils affected the development of A. obtectus since the greatest doses applied on beans decreased the emergence of the bean weevil. The results prove the insecticidal capacity of the tested essential oils and hence their potential as active substances against A. obtectus in environmentally low risk pest control strategies. Supplementary trials should be conducted under real storage conditions.

Essential oils of basil chemotypes: Major compounds, binary mixtures, and antioxidant activity

The antioxidant potential of the essential oils (EO) of 24 basil genotypes was assessed by 4 distinct in vitro evaluation methods. Different combinations of the major compounds found in the EO were also tested to identify those combinations responsible for the antioxidant activity of the volatile oils and verify the occurrence of synergism or antagonism between them. Results indicate that 9 EO exhibited promising antioxidant potential, with at least 52.68% of inhibition of the linoleic acid peroxidation at 10 µL/mL and 76.34% of inhibition of the DPPH radical at 1 µL/mL. The major compound eugenol had the highest antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of these EO cannot be explained solely by the presence of the major compounds. Despite the influence of eugenol, the antioxidant activity is also related to the synergism between other minor compounds found in the EO. This fact confers a potent antioxidant activity to some basil EO.

Insecticidal activity of the essential oil and polar extracts from Ocimum gratissimum grown in Ivory Coast: Efficacy on insect pests and vectors and impact on non-target species

Ocimum gratissimum L. (white wild basil) is an aromatic herb cultivated in Western Africa for culinary and pest control purposes. The current research evaluated the insecticidal activity of white wild basil essential oil, ethanolic and water extracts against insect pests and vectors, i.e., the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera littoralis, the housefly Musca domestica, and the filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Furthermore, the toxicity of the essential oil and polar extracts against the non-target earthworm Eisenia fetida was assessed. The chemical profiles of the essential oil and polar extracts were obtained by GC–MS and HPLC-DAD analyses. Acute toxicity experiments were conducted on larvae of C. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis and adults of M. domestica and E. fetida, to determine the LC50 and LC90 values of the oil and polar extracts. Chronic toxicity was evaluated on S. littoralis feeding on tomato discs treated with essential oil and polar extracts. The essential oil was dominated by thymol (50.0%) and p-cymene (16.8%), whereas ethanolic and aqueous extracts were characterized by carvacrol (13%) and thymol (11%), and shikimic acid (3%) and rosmarinic acid (2%), respectively. The essential oil was significantly more active on target insects than extracts, showing LC50/LD50 of 39.6 mg L−1 on C. quinquefasciatus, 72.2 μg adult−1 on M. domestica and 30.2 μg larva−1 on S. littoralis. Furthermore, the essential oil and ethanolic extract at sublethal doses (10 and 70 μg cm-2, respectively) affected the survival of S. littoralis larvae from the third day on. White wild basil oil LD50,90 at day 5 were 2.8 and 12.3 μg cm-2. Finally, the essential oil and polar extracts were not toxic to E. fetida over the positive control α-cypermethrin. Overall, our study showed that the essential oil of white wild basil is a potential candidate as a functional ingredient in insecticidal formulations to manage agricultural moth pests and insect vectors of public importance.

Optimising chitosan–pectin hydrogel beads containing combined garlic and holy basil essential oils and their application as antimicrobial inhibitor

SummaryChitosan–pectin hydrogel beads that trap and release the maximal amount of combined garlic and holy basil essential oils to inhibit food microorganisms were developed based on the central composite design, with chitosan (0.2–0.7% w/v), pectin (3.5–5.5% w/v) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) (5.0–20.0% w/v) contents. The optimal bead consisted of 0.3–0.6% w/v chitosan, 3.9–5.1% w/v pectin and 8.0–17.0% w/v CaCl2, which had a high encapsulation efficiency (62.16–79.06%) and high cumulative release efficiency (31.55–37.81%) after storage at 5 °C for 15 days. Optimal hydrogel beads were packed into a cellulose bag to evaluate antimicrobial activity by the disc volatilisation method. The beads inhibited Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus but did not affect Lactobacillus plantarum and Salmonella Typhimurium. The oil‐containing beads could potentially be applied in food packaging to inhibit the mentioned microorganisms.

Bio-herbicidal effects of five essential oils on germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.)

The evaluation of the inhibition effect exerted by the essential oils of basil (Ocimum basilicum), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) on seeds germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) weed was examined in a laboratory bioassay. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized chemically by gas chromatography coupled with both mass spectrometry and flame ionization detector. The working solutions of essential oil emulsified with Tween 20 and dissolved in distilled water were prepared at three concentration levels (0.01%, 0.1% and 1%, vol/vol). The results obtained showed that increase of essential oil concentration leads to decrease of seed germination, shoot and radical length of velvetleaf. The obtained data revealed a highly significant effect (P < 0.05) between control and 1% and 0.1% oil concentrations in all treatments. The essential oils of basil, thyme and lemon balm exhibited more powerful bio-herbicidal effect compared to sage and goldenrod essential oils on the germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf weed.

β-Cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with essential oils: Obtention, characterization, antimicrobial activity and potential application for food preservative sachets

The current study aimed obtaining antimicrobial sachets that could be used as preservatives for foods. Basil (BEO) and Pimenta dioica (PDEO) essential oils (EOs) were analyzed by GC-FID and GC–MS and tested against the foodborne bacteria S. aureus, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, P. aeruginosa, S. Enteritidis, and the food-spoilage mold B. nivea. Then, inclusion complexes (ICs) with EOs and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were prepared as a strategy to reduce volatility and increase the release time of EOs. Eight ICs were prepared by kneading and freeze-drying methods, in two molar ratios, and have been characterized by complementary methods: FT-IR, thermal analysis (DSC and TG/DTG), powder XRD, and solid state 13C NMR. In vitro antimicrobial activities of ICs, both dispersed in agar and loaded in sachets, have also been investigated. Complexation was confirmed for all samples. PDEO-based ICs prepared by kneading method, at both molar ratios, displayed better in vitro antimicrobial activity. The obtained results strongly suggest a potential application of these ICs as natural antimicrobials.

Isolation and Identification of Morchella Pathogenic Fungi and Determination of In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of 30 Plant Essential Oils

In order to develop natural antistaling agent for Morchella preservation, reduce environmental pollution problems. In this experiment, the fungus pathogenic fungi were isolated and identified, and the antibacterial activity of the pathogen was determined by using 30 plant essential oils. The results showed that the fungal strain YDJ-S was isolated from the naturally occurring Morchella, belonging to the Fusarium proliferatum, which showed obvious pathogenicity. In vitro antibacterial experiments of essential oils show that in 30 kinds of essential oils, five essential oils of Basil, Cinnamon, Litsea cubeba, Clove and Garlic have obvious inhibitory effect on strain YDJ-S, and the inhibition rate is 100% at 1000 μl/L. Basil essential oil has the most obvious inhibitory effect on the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of strain YDJ-S, the minimum inhibitory concentration is 250 μl/L, and the minimum bactericidal concentration is 1000 μl/L, to lay the theoretical foundation for further research.

Dodatak etarskih ulja u biopolimerni film na bazi pogače uljane tikve golice u cilju poboljšanja njegove antioksidativne aktivnosti

Active films based on pumpkin oil cake, with 1 % and 2 % of winter savory and basil essential oil, were synthesized in the paper, and the antioxidant activity of the films obtained was subsequently examined. A biopolymer film based on pumpkin oil cake without the addition of essential oils was used as a control. The following methods were used for determining the antioxidant activity of the films: the DPPH radical scavenging activity, the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and the reducing power assay. The control film showed some antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging activity = 61 %, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity = 33 %, reducing power = 0.534). However, the addition of essential oils increased the antioxidant activity of the films, especially their reducing power, where as the film with 2 % of winter savory essential oil exhibited the highest activity. A slight increase in the DPPH radical and the hydroxyl radical scavenging activities was also observed with the incorporation of essential oils into the experimental films.

Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oil on Ground Beef from Boran and Nguni Cattle.

The global meat industry is characterised by a growing interest in natural preservative additives. This study determined the effect of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil (SBEO) on colour and lipid oxidation in minced beef. The phytoconstituents of SBEO were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Thereafter, minced beef samples from Nguni and Boran cattle were treated with either no additives (control, C) or SBEO added at 2% (SB2), 4% (SB4), or 6% (SB6). The meat samples were aerobically packaged and stored (4 ± 1°C) for seven days for measurement of lightness (L⁎), redness (a⁎), yellowness (b⁎), hue, chroma, and lipid oxidation (acid-reactive substances, TBARS) on days 0, 4, and 7. Thirty-two bioactive compounds with reported antioxidant and antimicrobial and activities were identified in SBEO, including Estragole (41.40%), 1, 6-Octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl (29.49%), and trans-.alpha.-Bergamotene (5.32%). On days 0, 4, and 7, SB2, SB4, and SB6 had higher (P < 0.05) L⁎, a⁎, b⁎, hue, and chroma values; and on days 0 and 4 TBARS were lower (P < 0.05) in SB2 and SB4 than C and SB6. The addition of 2% and 4% SBEO improved colour and lipid oxidative stability, demonstrating potential for its use as a natural antioxidant additive in meat.