Basil Cultivars Research Articles

Quantification of character‐impacting compounds in Ocimum basilicum and 'Pesto alla Genovese' with selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an important flavourant plant which constitutes the major ingredient of the pasta sauce 'Pesto alla Genovese'. The characteristic smell of basil stems mainly from a handful of terpenoids (methyl cinnamate, eucalyptol, linalool and estragole), the concentration of which varies according to basil cultivars. The simple and rapid analysis of the terpenoid constituents of basil would be useful as a means to optimise harvesting times and to act as a quality control process for basil-containing foodstuffs. Classical analytical techniques such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) are, however, slow, technically demanding and therefore less suitable for routine analysis. A new chemical ionisation technique which allows real-time quantification of traces gases, Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS), was therefore utilised to determine its usefulness for the assay of terpenoid concentrations in basil and pesto sauce headspace. Trace gas analysis was performed using the NO(+) precursor ion which minimised interference from other compounds. Character-impacting compound concentration was measured in basil headspace with good reproducibility and statistically significant differences were observed between cultivars. Quantification of linalool in pesto sauce headspace proved more difficult due to the presence of interfering compounds. This was resolved by careful selection of reaction product ions which allowed us to detect differences between various commercial brands of pesto. We conclude that SIFT-MS may be a valid tool for the fast and reproducible analysis of flavourant terpenoids in basil and basil-derived foodstuffs.

Experimental research on in vitro propagation through direct somatic embryogenesis of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).

Induction, generation and development of embryogenic somatic phenomena are matters that can be modeled by monitoring the interplay between exogenous phytohormones and explants. As a result, this work presents experimental studies that illustrate the influence that exogenous cytokinins (BAP and TDZ), and auxins (NAA or IBA) have, added in the composition of the artificial nutritive medium, for modeling the in vitro propagation through direct somatic embryogenesis in two cultivars of basil (Ocimum basilicum L. var. Marseille and Ocimum basilicum L. var. Red Rubin), starting from different types of explants (leaf, cotyledon, epicotyl, hipocotyl and radicle). The best embryogenic response was recorded for experimental variant consisting in TDZ cytokinin and IBA auxin in quantities of 1 mg/l respectively 0,5 mg/l, and cotyledon type explant.

Variation in the volatile terpenoids of two industrially important basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars during plant ontogeny in two different cropping seasons from India

Two Ocimum basilicum cultivars, 'Vikarsudha' and 'CIM-Saumya', grown in the Kumaon region of western Himalaya were evaluated for their essential oil yield and composition at different stages of plant growth during two distinct cropping seasons (spring-summer and rain-autumn). The highest yield of essential oil was obtained at full bloom stage in both cultivars in both cropping seasons. The essential oils obtained from different stages in two cropping seasons were analysed by capillary gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major component of cultivar 'Vikarsudha' was methyl chavicol (84.3-94.3%), while for cultivar 'CIM-Saumya' the main components were methyl chavicol (62.5-77.6%) and linalool (14.4-34.1%). This study clearly indicated that cultivar, cropping season, plant ontogeny and plant part had significant effects on the yield and quality of the essential oil of O. basilicum. Further, the amount of methyl chavicol in the cultivars grown in this region was higher than in cultivars from other parts of India.

Occurrence of Downy Mildew Caused by Peronospora belbahrii on Sweet Basil in Hungary.

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an important medicinal and aromatic plant in Hungary that is cultivated over a large area. During field surveys conducted in 2010, significant incidence of downy mildew was observed in two plant stands at Budapest-Soroksár and Tordas. In 2003, the disease occurred in a greenhouse at Albertirsa as well. By the end of September, on full-grown leaves of two sweet basil cultivars, the frequency of disease occurrence and the percentage of infected leaf area reached 80 to 90% and 17 to 20%, respectively, at Budapest-Soroksár. Symptoms appeared mainly on cvs. Genovese and Milita among others. On leaves, large chlorotic lesions with soft margins developed, followed by necrotization from the middle. Chlorosis often involved the entire leaf surface. Necrotic spots were irregular, variable in diameter, and limited by the main veins. A typical grayish white furry growth could be observed mainly on abaxial leaf surfaces both in chlorotic and necrotic regions. Most abundant growth developed on the leaves of cv. Genovese. Premature leaf fall on diseased plants occurred as well. The fungus was identified as Peronospora belbahrii Thines on the basis of morphological investigation suggested by Thines et al. (4). Sporangiophores were colorless with a long, straight trunk and monopodially branched five to seven times with a length of 416 to 784 μm (average 572 μm). Sporangiophores ended with two slightly curved acute branchlets, the longer one measured 12.5 to 25.0 μm (average 17.1 μm) and the shorter one measured 5.0 to 18.8 μm (average 9.5 μm) long. Ratio of longer to shorter branchlets was 0.7 to 3.0, the average ratio was 1.9. Sporangia were rounded or slightly ovoid, olive to dark brown, and measured 29.3 × 25.6 (23.8 to35.0 × 20.0 to 31.3 μm). Length/width ratio was 1.2 (1.0 to 1.4). Molecular investigation of two isolates was performed. DNA extraction from sporangiophores was followed by PCR using ITS5 and ITS4 primers. The obtained sequence (GenBank Accession No. HQ702191) showed 99.8 to 100.0% similarity with sequences of P. belbahrii (e.g., Accession Nos. FJ394335 and HN462241) and Peronospora sp. (e.g., Accession Nos. AY884605, AY919301, and FJ346561) isolated from sweet basil. In Europe, the disease was reported from Italy (2), France (3), Germany (4), and Switzerland (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of downy mildew on sweet basil in Hungary.

Efficiency of morphological trait descriptors in discrimination of Ocimum basilicum L. accessions

Most commercial basil cultivars belong to the species Ocimum basilicum L. Moreover, within O. basilicum species, there are five main botanical varieties (var. basilicum L., var. difforme Benth., var. minimum L., var. purpurascens Benth. and var. thyrsiflorum /L./ Benth.) that are mainly found on the market. High levels of both morphological and chemical variability exist within the species due to the intraspecific hybridization and long-term uses throughout the world. The aim of this work was to study the resolving power of morphological traits for reliable identification of basil accessions. Phenotypic dissimilarities between pairs of accessions were calculated, and the unweighted pair-group method dendrogram was constructed. Six clearly defined clusters have been detected, giving a good representation of traditional taxonomic relationships. To compare the efficiency of the morphological traits in accession identification, confusion probability and discriminating power of each trait were calculated. Our results show that with a careful analysis and stringent selection of traits, morphological markers provide an inexpensive and reliable method for routine screening of a large number of accessions, in order to monitor and manage germplasm collections.

Variations in phenolic composition and antioxidant properties among 15 basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars

In this study, the influences of cultivar on the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of 15 different basil varieties was determined. Cultivar had a statistically significant effect on total phenolic levels (p<0.001) and anthocyanin concentrations (p<0.001). Analysis of individual phenolic acid levels by high-performance liquid chromatography showed substantial variations in the phenolic acid profiles among cultivars. Rosmarinic (p<0.001), chicoric (p=0.002) and caffeic (p=0.001) acid concentrations were affected by cultivar, although caftaric acid levels (p=0.083) were not. Nine of the cultivars in this study contained chicoric acid in higher concentrations than rosmarinic acid. These are the first basil cultivars that have been identified in which rosmarinic acid is not the dominant phenolic acid. In addition, six of the cultivars in this study had caftaric and caffeic acid concentrations that were similar or higher than rosmarinic acid levels. Cultivar also had a significant impact on both FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power, p=0.007) and DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, p=0.004) antioxidant capacities. For the basil cultivars in this study, the individual phenolic acid composition was found to be an important factor influencing the measured antioxidant capacity.

Evaluation of Essential Oil Yield and Chemical Components of Selected Basil Cultivars

ABSTRACTThe essential oils yield and the chemical compositions of essential oils of broad and narrow basil varieties were assessed for two years. The essential oil was obtained via hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography. The essential oil extraction yield varied among basil cultivars. The oil extraction yield for broad leaf basil cultivars, Large Leaf Basil and Genovese, was 1.3% and 2.1% respectively, while narrow leaf basil cultivars, Finissimo Verde a Palla and Larosa Emanuele-Sementi, had oil extraction yields of 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively. Regarding the active substances of basil oil, linalool and eugenol were dependent on the cultivar and year of cultivation. In the broad leaf basil cultivars the concentration of linalool remained constant during the two cultivation years, while eugenol content varied from the first to the second year of cultivation. In narrow leaf basil the content of linalool content fluctuated with cultivation year, while eugenol was the same in both experimental years. The broad leaf basil cultivar had on average for both cultivation years 3.8 mg g−1 linallol and 0.5 mg g−1 eugenol and the narrow leaf basil had 2.8 mg g−1 linallol and 0.7 mg g−1 eugenol.

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils from Two Varieties of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils from Two Varieties of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) The aim of this work was an evaluation of the antifungal activity of essential oils from two cultivars of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.): ‘Wala’ and ‘Fine Verde’. The essential oils from dried, ground herbs were extracted with the hydro-distillation method using Deryng apparatus. The composition of the oils was analyzed by gas chromatography. The antifungal activity of the oils was tested against the following strains: Alternaria sp., Aspergillus flavus, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium herbarum, Eurotium amstelodami and Eurotium chevalieri. The disc diffusion agar method was applied. Each oil was used in two doses, 10 and 5 μl/disc. A disc (6 mm dia.), soaked with oil, was placed on agar plates, which had been previously inoculated with spores of the different strains. The diameters of fungal growth inhibition zones were measured after 72h of incubation at 25°C and expressed in millimeters. The obtained results showed that the diameter of the mycelium growth inhibition zone significantly depended on the source of oil, the dose of oil, and the species of fungi. The essential oil from the ‘Wala’ variety was more effective against the tested fungi than the oil from ‘Fine Verde’ and the inhibition zones were greater when the dose of the oils was higher. E. chevalieri was the most sensitive to both of the oils and A. flavus was the most resistant. The differences in the antifungal activity of the tested oils were probably the result of their different chemical compositions. In comparison with the ‘Fine Verde’ oil, the oil from ‘Wala’ had more than twice the amount of linalool, more 1,8-cineole, and contained geraniol and methyl chavicol. In the conditions of the experiment both oils showed greater antifungal activity than cycloheximide (actidion) and methyl thiophanate (Topsin M 500 SC) used as controls.

Stability of essential oil composition of two Polish cultivars of sweet basil (&lt;i&gt;Ocimum basilicum&lt;/i&gt; L.) growing in different locations

The content and composition of essential oil of two new Polish cultivars of sweet basil (‘Wala’ and ‘Kasia’) were analyzed. In 2005 and 2006, comparative field experiments were conducted in order to investigate the suitability of basil cultivars in Southern Finland and in Poland. From transplantation to full flowering of basil cultivars the weather conditions were nearly similar in the both locations, and the biomasses developed similarly. The content of essential oil was higher in the herb produced in Poznan. In both locations cultivar ‘Kasia’ had a higher content of oil in comparison with cultivar ‘Wala’. The chemical composition of basil oil was nearly identical on both experimental plots. Both cultivars were characterized by a high geraniol content in oil, while cultivar ‘Wala’ contained more linalool compare with cv. ‘Kasia’. These newly bred Polish basil cultivars showed stable growth and good quality characteristics.

Reducing chilling injury and decay in stored sweet basil

Storage of greenhouse-grown sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) at temperatures below 12 °C results in chilling injury (CI), expressed as leaf browning, necrosis, and decay, followed by leaf abscission upon transfer to higher temperature. Storing basil at temperatures above 12 °C might result in soft rot caused by Botrytis cinerea and Erwinia carotovora, accompanied by increased leaf abscission. Ethylene is involved in the induction of leaf abscission. At a storage temperature of 12 °C, severe CI and decay may occur if the basil is harvested early in the morning, while these are markedly reduced if harvest is delayed to afternoon or evening. Postharvest hot-air treatment consisting of 38 °C for 8 h applied to afternoon- or evening-harvested basil markedly reduced its susceptibility to CI and decay, and enabled storage of some basil cultivars at 9 °C, a temperature which normally results in substantial injury. Harvesting of basil before noon should be delayed to at least 4 h after sunrise, and heat treatment...

Susceptibility of Basil Cultivars and Breeding Lines to Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii)

Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora belbahrii, is a new disease of basil (Ocimum spp.) in the United States. In 2009, different basil species, cultivars, and advanced breeding lines of sweet basil (30 in total) were evaluated for susceptibility to basil downy mildew in field trials in southern and northern New Jersey. Popular commercial sweet basil cultivars such as Martina, Nufar, and Poppy Joe were among the most susceptible to downy mildew. Symptoms and sporulation of P. belhahrii on Ocimum ×citriodorum and O. americanum cultivars were present but far less than on most O. basilicum cultivars evaluated. The cultivars Spice, Blue Spice, and Blue Spice Fil were the least susceptible to basil downy mildew with no visible symptoms. Similar results were observed in both field trials. This is the first report of potential resistance in Ocimum spp. to basil downy mildew. Observations from this study show that the development of resistant cultivars may be possible. Selection criteria such as foliar morphology, plant architecture as well as the presence of secondary metabolites are being examined as potential traits for developing downy mildew resistant basil cultivars.

Propriedades do pólen e do estigma de Ocimum basilicum L. (cultivar Maria Bonita) para aumentar a eficiência de cruzamentos em programas de melhoramento

Ocimum basilicum, cv. Maria Bonita (Lamiaceae), conhecido como manjericão, é espécie que apresenta propriedades aromáticas, condimentares e medicinais, por ser rico emóleos essenciais. É muito usado nas indústrias farmacêuticas e de alimentos em geral. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar as propriedades do pólen e estigma do manjericão (cultivar Maria Bonita) identificando procedimentos simples que possam contribuir para programas de melhoramento. Para análise da disponibilidade, viabilidade do pólen e receptividade de estigma, botões florais foram coletados de hora em hora ao longo do dia, e lâminas eram montadas e coradas, para observação em microscópio óptico. Foi verificado que o manjericão apresenta antese diurna, assincrônica e com a maioria das flores se abrindo entre 10:00 e 11:00 horas. Quanto ao estudo do pólen foi verificado que a viabilidade manteve-se elevada ao longo do dia e a conservação por até 90 dias demonstrou bons níveis de viabilidade. O estigma apresentou receptividade desde a pré-antese até a pós-antese. Estas informações são relevantes para os melhoristas que desejam fazer seleção de genótipos ou hibridações em programas de melhoramento, contribuindo para aumentar o potencial da espécie que já se destaca como produtora de óleos essenciais.

Potassium rate alters the antioxidant capacity and phenolic concentration of basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves

In the current study, we have determined how potassium rate affects the phenolic levels and antioxidant properties of three cultivars of basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves: Dark Opal, Sweet Thai, and Genovese. Potassium rate increased the total phenolic concentration in basil, with basil treated at the highest potassium rate, 5.0 mM K, containing greater phenolic levels than basil treated at the lowest potassium rate, 1.0 mM K ( p = 0.008). Basil grown at 5.0 mM K also had higher concentrations of rosmarinic ( p = 0.005) and chicoric ( p < 0.001) acids compared to lower potassium treatment levels. Correspondingly, 1.0 mM K basil had lower DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) ( p ⩽ 0.005) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power, p = 0.043) antioxidant capacities compared to basil treated at higher potassium rates. Cultivar was also found to impact the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of basil, with Sweet Thai having lower total phenolic concentrations and FRAP antioxidant capacities than Dark Opal and Genovese. Although not affected by potassium rate, anthocyanin concentrations varied significantly among the cultivars, with purple Dark Opal basil exhibiting higher anthocyanin levels than Sweet Thai ( p = 0.003) and Genovese ( p = 0.002).

AROMA AS A FACTOR IN THE BREEDING PROCESS OF BASIL

Sweet basil is one of the main herbs grown in the Mediterranean region. The market and the growers have been requesting breeders to provide rapid solutions to urgent problems, such as resistance to diseases or tolerance to chilling. Naturally, as has happened in other crops, there is the danger that this process is leading to high yields, nice appearance and good shelf life, but with the loss of aroma and flavor quality. In the case of basil, crossing between varieties could yield a new type of aroma, and even new compounds that do not exist in the parent plants. Here we present a few examples of such changes. Case 1: Variation is necessary for selection, but could be problematic in the case of the aroma when it is not the target trait to improve. When there is internal variation of the volatiles composition in the source population, any selection may lead to genetic lines with different types of aroma. In the second case we demonstrate crossing between two cultivars of basil that differ in their aromas. The cultivar 'Cardinal' is a methyl chavicol type and the cultivar 'Perrie' is a eugenol type. In the F 2 generation we obtained about 35% typical Eugenol type plants like 'Perrie' and 15% of phenylpropenes composition similar to 'Cardinal'. The others had intermediate composition of eugenol, chavicol and methyl chavicol. Moreover, fenchol and fenchyl acetate are microcomponents in 'Cardinal' and do not exist at all in 'Perrie'. Actually, they are undesirable compounds in the edible basil. In addition to the expected result that part of the F 2 plants contain one or both of these components, some of them contain the component fenchone that did not exist in either parent. The conclusion of these results is that the breeder should learn more about the composition of the aroma compounds, analysis methods, biochemistry and the mode of inheritance, in order to include the aroma factor in the breeding program and to consider it during the entire process.

Sweet Basil Requires an Irradiance of 500 μ mol·m−2·s−1 for Greatest Edible Biomass Production

Energy conservation in controlled-environment agriculture is a major concern for both commercial and research facilities as well as extraterrestrial facilities for food production. Supplying optimal irradiance by using electrical lighting for the greatest edible biomass production potentially is the greatest draw on energy during earth-based or extraterrestrial food production in controlled environments. Our objective was to determine the optimal irradiance for greatest edible biomass production of three cultivars of basil (Basilicum ocimum L.) in a controlled-environment production system. Seedlings of the three cultivars were transplanted into soilless medium, one plant per pot, and grew for 17 days in reach-in growth chambers maintained at 25 ± 4 °C with a 16-h photoperiod. Canopy-level irradiances of 300, 400, 500, and 600 μmol·m−2·s−1 were provided by cool-white fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Shoot growth was measured as height, diameter, and number of leaves 0.5 cm long or greater; and edible biomass was measured as leaf fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, and shoot dry weight. There was no irradiance × cultivar interaction, but main effects of irradiance and cultivar were observed. Plant growth and edible biomass production were least at 300 μmol·m−2·s−1 and greatest at 500 or 600 μmol·m−2·s−1. In several cases, 400 μmol·m−2·s−1 yielded intermediate growth or edible biomass. Within the main effect of cultivar, Italian Large Leaf produced greater edible biomass than ‘Genovese’, and ‘Nufar’ yielded an intermediate amount of shoot fresh weight and dry weight. Under our environmental conditions that included ambient CO2 concentration and ambient relative humidity, the rate of growth peaked at 500 μmol·m−2·s−1, and no additional accumulation of edible biomass occurred at 600 μmol·m−2·s−1. Based on our results, canopy-level irradiance of 500 μmol·m−2·s−1 provides maximum edible biomass production of basil in a controlled-environment production system.

Evaluation of the Essential Oils from Nine Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)Cultivars Planted in Southern Brazil

The goal of the present work was to establish the essential oil yields and chemical compositions of nine Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars. The plants were grown in the fields, in an averaged experimental design, using ten plants of each of the nine cultivars in each parcel, making three repeats of each experiment. The parameters measured were fresh and dry weight of the aerial parts, yield and chemical compositions of the essential oils. The yields ranged from 6.21 to 42.51 L/ha, the Genovese cultivar being the most productive. The chemical composition of all cultivars had high contents of linalool, with the highest being that of the Toscano “lettuce leave” cultivar.

Chicoric acid found in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves

This is the first report to identify the presence of chicoric acid (cichoric acid; also known as dicaffeoyltartaric acid, which is a caffeic acid derivatized with tartaric acid) in basil leaves. Rosmarinic acid, chicoric acid and caftaric acid (in the order of most abundant to least; all derivatives of caffeic acid) were identified in fresh basil leaves. Rosmarinic acid was the main phenolic compound found in both leaves and stems. Chicoric acid was not detected in sweet basil stems, although a small amount was present in Thai basil stems. Other cinnamic acid monomers, dimers and trimers were also found in minor quantities in both stems and leaves. Basil polyphenolic contents were determined by blanched methanol extraction, followed by HPLC/DAD analysis. The characterization of the polyphenolics found in the basil extracts were performed by HPLC/DAD/ESI–MS/MS and co-chromatographed with purchased standard. The influence of inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus intraradices , on plant phenolic composition was studied on two basil cultivars,‘Genovese Italian’ and ‘Purple Petra’. Inoculation with AMF increased total anthocyanin concentration of ‘Purple Petra’ but did not alter polyphenolic content or profile of leaves and stems, of either cultivar, compared to non-inoculated plants. In the US diet, basil presents a more accessible source of chicoric acid than does Echinacea purpurea , in which it is the major phenolic compound.

Effect of Cultivar on the Protection of Cardiomyocytes from Oxidative Stress by Essential Oils and Aqueous Extracts of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Notwithstanding the wide range of biological and pharmacological activities reported for sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), many discrepancies are still present in the evaluation of its health-promoting properties. These discordances could be at least in part due to insufficient details of qualitative and quantitative composition, connected to the ample variability of this species. Furthermore, many investigations have been carried out in vitro, with few data available on the effectiveness in biological systems. In this study, the protective effect of essential oils and water-soluble extracts derived from three different cultivars of sweet basil has been evaluated in cultured cardiomyocytes. To verify the effectiveness of supplemented oils/extracts in counteracting oxidative damage, cardiomyocytes were stressed by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. The results indicate that (a) in vitro antioxidant activity is not predictive of biological activity and (b) basil can yield extracts with substantially different protective effects, in relation to composition and extraction techniques. Variation among different cultivars has also been detected.

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Basil (Ocimum basilicumL.)

Many herbs and spices have been shown to contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds with potent antioxidant properties. In the present study, we explore how nutrient availability, specifically nitrogen fertilization, affects the production of polyphenolic compounds in three cultivars (Dark Opal, Genovese, and Sweet Thai) of the culinary herb, basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.). Nitrogen fertilization was found to have a significant effect on total phenolic levels in Dark Opal ( p < 0.001) and Genovese ( p < 0.001) basil with statistically higher phenolic contents observed when nutrient availability was limited at the lowest (0.1 mM) applied nitrogen treatment. Similarly, basil treated at the lowest nitrogen fertilization level generally contained significantly higher rosmarinic ( p = 0.001) and caffeic ( p = 0.001) acid concentrations than basil treated at other nitrogen levels. Nitrogen fertilization also affected antioxidant activity ( p = 0.002) with basil treated at the highest applied nitrogen level, 5.0 mM, exhibiting lower antioxidant activity than all other nitrogen treatments. The anthocyanin content of Dark Opal basil was not affected by applied nitrogen level, but anthocyanin concentrations were significantly impacted by growing season ( p = 0.001). Basil cultivar was also determined to have a statistically significant effect on total phenolic levels, rosmarinic and caffeic acid concentrations, and antioxidant activities.

Influence of Polyamines (Spermine, Spermidine and Putrescine) on The Essential Oil Composition of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Different concentrations (0.25,0.5,1,10 m M) of Spermine, Spermidine and Putrescine were applied to Ocimum basilicum seeds and the essential oil composition of basil cultivars were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Main compounds of basil plants were obtained as linalool and 1,8-cineole in all polyamines treatment. Although spermine treatments led to an increase of the linalool contents (between 40.4% and 56.8%) at all concentrations, high 1,8-cineole content (between 9.6% and 17.8%) were observed after spermidine treatments.