Basil Research Articles

Evaluation of larvicidal activity of Ocimum basilicum L. essential oil on Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti L.

Aedes aegypti is a mosquito species of significant importance to public health because of its role in the spread of infections in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Chemical control measures are crucial for insect management. However, the widespread use of commercial insecticides has led to the development of resistance to Ae. aegypti. Therefore, alternative control measures must be explored. This study aimed to investigate the larvicidal activity and mechanism of action of Ocimum basilicum essential oil against Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti L. The phytochemical components of the oil were identified using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis, which revealed that oxygenated monoterpenes, primarily Linalool and Estragole, were the major components. The essential oil demonstrated concentration-dependent larvicidal activity, with increased mortality rates at higher concentrations. The larvicidal activity of the essential oil may be enhanced, as shown by molecular docking of its phytochemical components, either individually or in combination with juvenile hormones. These findings suggest that the essential oil has the potential to be used as a larvicide for the management of Ae. aegypti populations and that the mechanism of action may involve interactions between the phytochemical components and juvenile hormones.

A randomized double-blind active-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of topical basil (Ocimum basilicum) oil in knee osteoarthritis

BackgroundBasil is a widely used herb in Persian medicine and is gaining recognition as a functional food worldwide.Aim of the studyThis trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of a traditional formulation of basil oil in comparison with diclofenac gel in treating knee osteoarthritis, considering its established anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and anti-oxidative properties.Materials and methodsOne hundred eligible patients were equally randomized to the traditional basil oil (containing sesame oil) and diclofenac gel groups. They used their respective topical treatments thrice daily for 4 weeks. Various measurements were taken at the beginning of the study, 2, and 4 weeks after starting the intervention, including the 8-m walk test, knee pain (based on visual analog scale), flexion angle of the knee joint, analgesic consumption, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between the basil oil and diclofenac gel groups in any of the measured outcomes. However, significant improvements were noted within each group for most variables.ConclusionTopical application of the traditional formulation of basil oil appears to improve clinical symptoms and certain functional indicators of knee osteoarthritis to a similar extent as diclofenac gel. This suggests that basil oil could be considered an effective management option for this condition.Clinical Trial Registration:https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/, identifier IRCT2017081711341N7.

Application of the Cryo-Drying Technique in Maintaining Bioactive and Antioxidant Properties in Basil Leaves (Ocimum basilicum)

The objective of this work is to compare the levels of bioactive compounds in fresh and freeze-dried basil leaves (Ocimum basilicum), using methodological procedures that follow internationally recommended and accepted standards. The results show comparisons of bioactives between fresh and freeze-dried leaves, respectively, with results expressing the average levels of vitamin C (9.50–63.3 mg/100 g); total polyphenols (1.8–3.9 mgEAG/g); flavonoids (0.73–1.78 mg/g); chlorophyll a (2287.8–1003.8 μg/100 g); chlorophyll b (2606–2287 μg/100 g) and total carotenoids with averages of 16.71–20.6 mg/100 g). Regarding color, there was variation in the parameters L*, a*, and b* of the dry sample, but the tendency towards green e (a+) and yellow (b−) was maintained. Infrared analysis (FTIR) demonstrated the presence of functional groups related to cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) shows stability in the range of 234 °C, showing a more intense mass loss at 294.6 °C. Given the data, it is possible to infer that the application of freeze-drying produces few changes in bioactive compounds and chemical groups and maintains good thermal stability, proving to be a viable alternative to increasing the commercialization of basil leaves, as it prolongs their useful life, and increases the forms of food applications.

A COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF THE LEAVES OF TULSI (OCIMUM BASALICUM) AND (OCIMUM SANCTUM)

The pharmacognostic evaluation of Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil) and Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil) involved detailed macroscopic and microscopic analyses of their leaves. Ocimum basilicum leaves typically measure 4-8 cm in length, displaying an elliptic ovate shape, whereas Ocimum sanctum leaves are relatively smaller, measuring about 2-2.5 cm in length and exhibiting an ovate shape. Microscopic examination further distinguished between the two species: O. sanctum displayed a square-shaped epidermis characterized by parenchymatous cells and sclerenchyma patches, whereas O. basilicum showcased a dorsiventral mesophyll structure with stomata and glandular trichomes. These distinctive features contribute significantly to the standardization, authentication, and quality control processes essential for ensuring the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine formulations containing Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum sanctum.

Physiological and molecular responses of basil (Ocimum basilicum) to silver stress: a comparison between silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate treatments

Physiological and molecular responses of basil (Ocimum basilicum) to silver stress: a comparison between silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate treatments

Investigating the antifungal, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of Ocimum basilicum L. and Mentha piperita L. essential oils and their synergistic potentials with antibiotics

Investigating the antifungal, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of Ocimum basilicum L. and Mentha piperita L. essential oils and their synergistic potentials with antibiotics

Efektivitas Ekstrak Daun Kemangi (Ocimum basilicum L.) terhadap Jumlah Hama Serangga yang Menyerang Tanaman Kacang Hijau (Phaseolus radiatus L.)

Pests are a type of plant damage that can have fatal consequences for farmers, therefore pests need to be eradicated so that farmers' yields can increase, especially in green bean plants. Basil is one of the biodiversity that has the potential to be developed as a traditional medicine. This plant is a plant that has many benefits as medicine, vegetable pesticide, essential oil producer, vegetable and refreshing drink. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of basil leaf extract (Ocimu basilicum L.) on the number of insect pests that attack green bean plants (Phaseolus radiatus L.). The parameters observed were the number of insect pests before and after treatment. The object of this research was green bean plants, the number of treatments in this research was 4 treatments (0% basil leaf extract, 10% basil leaf extract, 20% basil leaf extract, and 30% basil leaf extract) and 6 replications. Research data is descriptive data. From the research data, it was found that there was a decrease in the number of insect pests before and after treatment in the K3 treatment, the number of insect pests before treatment was 12 and after treatment there were 11 insect pests. In treatment K1-K2 there was no decrease in the number of insect pests before or after treatment. In treatment K1, the number of insect pests before treatment was 9 and after treatment there were 14 insect pests. In the K2 treatment, the number of insect pests before treatment was 12 and after treatment there were 19 insect pests. The results of the study concluded that administering basil leaf extract (Ocimum basilicum L.) had no significant effect on the number of insect pests attacking green bean plants.

Cropping system support in downy mildew control in basil in organic farming: a two-year open field experiment

AbstractBasil Downy Mildew (BDM), caused by the oomycete Peronospora belbahrii, is a major issue for sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) production worldwide. Currently, the disease is mainly controlled by chemical fungicides, but the development of populations of the pathogen which are resistant to the most widely used compounds is leading to the research of alternative crop protection strategies. Therefore, in this paper, some cropping variables were tested in a field trial conducted in two consecutive years (2021 and 2022) in Northern Italy in organic farming conditions, with the overall objective to optimize basil productivity and quality and limit BDM occurrence. These include two basil varieties, two sowing densities (dense, 30 kg/ha, and sparse, 15 kg/ha), and two irrigation systems (drip and sprinkler). A higher incidence and severity of BDM in 2022 compared to 2021 was observed, mainly due to the different climatic conditions that occurred in the two years. Year 2022 was characterized by high temperatures and repeated drought phenomena that led to basil stress and BDM severe outbreak. Moreover, variety 1 (considered resistant to P. belbahrii) was confirmed to be completely resistant in 2021 but it was found to be susceptible the following year, with disease incidence and severity comparable to variety 2 (medium susceptible). No differences were detected in terms of BDM occurrence and crop yield between the two sowing densities (mean of 58.4% and 26.6% of BDM incidence and severity, respectively; mean yield 1.4 kg/m2), while it emerged that drip irrigation can be useful in reducing BDM (−23.1% BDM severity). Therefore, this study suggests that the crop protection strategies tested, even if not definitive solutions, can significantly contribute to manage BDM more effectively, while preserving basil productivity and quality.

Acaricidal Efficacy of Thirty-Five Egyptian Plants Against the Camel Tick, Hyalomma Dromedarii.

Alternative and affordable tick control strategies are crucial to control and prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases. In this study, we evaluated the acaricidal efficacy of 35 aqueous plant extracts (17%) against the camel tick, Hyalomma dromedarii. The phytochemical profile indicated the presence of various secondary substances. Plants were classified into three groups according to their mortality percentage 15days post-treatment with 17%. This highly effective group (91%-95%) comprised Ocimum basilicum, Mespilus germanica, and Viola alpine followed by Carum carvi, Cucurbita pepo (peel), and Peganum harmala. A moderately effective group (80%-90%) included Acacia nilotica, Apium graveolens, Capsicum annuum, Ceratonia siliqua, Cucurbita pepo (seeds), Equisetum arvense, Eruca sativa, Ginkgobiloba, Plantagopsyllium, Phyllanthusemblica, Punica granatum, and Ziziphus spinachristi. The 20 remaining plants were assigned to the less effective group (< 80%). Viscum album (58.3%), which was the least effectivereference plant. The high potency of six plant extracts as acaricides may be attributed to the high content of active principles, e.g., phenols, flavonoids, and tannins. All of these highly effective plants are recommended for use as an acaricide, in case offacing acaricidal resistance or limited options for tick control.

NITROGEN IMPROVES BIOMASS PRODUCTION AND CHLOROPHYLL SYNTHESIS IN BASIL PLANTS GROWN UNDER SALT STRESS

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a medicinal and aromatic plant extensively cultivated in the Northeast region of Brazil, encounters growth challenges attributed to the salinity of irrigation water and soil. Nitrogen (N) is a crucial macronutrient employed to mitigate salt stress in plants. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the production of phytomass and chlorophyll synthesis in purple basil plants grown under salinity stress and nitrogen fertilization. The experiment was conducted in 2021 under protected environmental conditions at the Center for Agricultural Sciences, Universidade Federal Paraíba, Areia-PB, Brazil. Five levels of salt stress (0.0, 0.80, 2.75, 4.70, and 5.50 dS m-1) and five doses of N (0.00, 58.58, 200.00, 341.42, and 400.00 mg L-1) applied via foliar were studied. The results revealed that foliar fertilization with N increases plant tolerance to salt stress, promoting root fresh and dry mass accumulation at 294.96 and 205.36 mg L-1 and under ECw of 1.14 and 0.5 dS m-1, respectively. Applying 217.39 and 231.30 mg L-1 of N improves the production of stem dry biomass and the shoot/root ratio of basil plants subjected to salinity of 0.5 dS m-1. The electrical conductivity of irrigation water above 0.8 dS m-1 adversely affects biomass production. The salinity at 3.8 to 4.0 dS m-1 stimulated chlorophyll synthesis in purple basil plants. However, the foliar application of N proves to be a strategic approach to counteract these effects, resulting in increased total dry mass production and chlorophyll contents.

Differences in Airway Remodeling and Emphysematous Lesions between Rats Exposed to Smoke from New-Type and Conventional Tobacco Varieties

Genes from Perilla frutescens and Ocimum basilicum were introduced into N. tabacum L. var. HHY via distant hybridization, and the new-type tobacco varieties “Zisu” and “Luole” were developed, with noticeable differences in chemical composition. Smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and its pathogenesis is complex. In the present study, 48 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups, namely, the control, “HHY”, “Zisu” and “Luole”, and then exposed to fresh air/cigarette smoke (CS) for 30 days and 60 days. The COPD model was constructed, and their health hazards were compared and evaluated. CS from different tobacco varieties influenced rats in varying degrees at the tissue, cell and molecular levels. The rats in the “HHY” group showed obvious symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea, which were less severe in the “Zisu” and “Luole” groups. Pathological and morphological analyses, including scores, MLI, MAN, WAt/Pbm and WAm/Pbm, showed that “Zisu” and “Luole” caused less damage to the airways and lung parenchyma than “HHY”. Significant increases in the numbers of total leukocytes and neutrophils in the BALF were found in “HHY” compared to those in “Zisu” and “Luole”. Moreover, they caused less oxidative stress and apoptosis in lung tissues, as reflected by indicators such as ROS, MDA, T-AOC, GSH, the apoptotic index and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax. “Zisu” and “Luole” even altered the ratios of MMP-9/TIMP-1 and IFN-γ/IL-4 in lung tissues to a lesser degree. These differences between CS-exposed rats may be closely related to the altered expression of Nrf2, p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK. Changes in chemical composition via introducing genes from some medicinal plants may be an attractive strategy for tobacco harm reduction.

Acclimation of key photosynthetic traits drives edible biomass increases in crop species grown in aquaponics

Sustainable agriculture practices may contribute to increasing food demand while alleviating issues with fertilizer over-use and water availability in traditional agriculture. Aquaponics systems provide plants with a constant supply of nutrient dense water from fish efflux. Root uptake filters the fish efflux and water is recycled back to fish tanks, reducing the water needed to produce both plants and fish. Plants acclimate their physiology and anatomy to changing environments, yet, the degree of acclimation in aquaponics is unknown. We tested if acclimation of leaf physiology and anatomy to constant water and nutrient supply in aquaponics affected edible yield. We measured acclimation of leaf gas exchange (Asat, gsw), photosynthetic capacity (Jmax,Vcmax), stomatal density and chlorophyll production by comparing plants grown in aquaponics or soil for three species: Lactuca sativa (Romaine lettuce), Triticum aestivum (Winter Wheat), and Ocimum basilicum (Basil). We hypothesized that non-limiting nitrogen supply in aquaponics would drive increased production of chlorophyll, increasing electron transport rate (Jmax) and carboxylation rate (Vcmax). Additionally, constant water supply in aquaponics would remove limitations driving stomatal closure, leading to higher photosynthesis rates. We found aquaponics plants produced more chlorophyll, driving increased photosynthetic capacity through higher Jmax and Vcmax. Additionally, aquaponics plants increased photosynthesis rates (Asat) via higher stomatal conductance (gsw) of fewer stomata. Acclimation of key photosynthetic traits in aquaponics plants resulted in more edible biomass compared to soil grown plants, often with reduced investment in root production. Overall, aquaponics appears well suited to producing higher yields of certain crop species, while also reducing environmental impacts.

Combination of functional plants conserves predators, repels pests, and enhances biological control of Aphis spiraecola in apple orchards

Functional plants possess the ability to attract natural enemies or repel pests, and they play an important role in ecological regulation. While most studies have focused on the impacts of individual plants or plant combinations with similar functions on pests, there is a scarcity of research on the effects of combining plants with different functions, particularly in the case of orchard pests. In this study, we combined plants (Cnidium monnieri (L.) or Brassica napus L.) that attract predators with plants (Ocimum basilicum L. or Mentha haplocalyx Briq.) that repel pests to determine if these combinations can enhance biocontrol of Aphis spiraecola Patch on apple trees. All four combinations reduced the A. spiraecola population on apple trees. B. napus & M. haplocalyx achieved the highest reduction rate (88.58%), followed by C. monnieri & O. basilicum (88.06%), B. napus & O. basilicum (86.11%), and C. monnieri & M. haplocalyx (79.41%). Cage exclusion tests on 29 June and 4 July 2023 showed that biocontrol services index of all combinations was significantly higher than that of the control. Rubidium marking test showed that 61.90%–71.43% of Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder) individuals in trees had transferred from functional plants. Behavioral responses and field trapping indicated that compounds such as cis-citral, nepetalactone, caryophyllene, beta-pinene, and eugenol, which are present in repellent plants, had significant repellency against A. spiraecola. The use of functional plant combinations in apple orchards can enhance biocontrol of A. spiraecola by promoting predators and by repelling aphid. This supports the potential of functional plant combinations in agroforestry ecosystems for pest biocontrol.

Biological strategies to control caterpillars in soybean, cotton and maize in the main producing regions of Brazil

Soybean, cotton and maize crops represent some of the main agricultural commodities grown during the hot season in Brazil. In order to provide more effective control options to producers, it is essential to deepen studies on management strategies using biological insecticides. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of the bioinsecticide Ocimum basilicum, in controlling the caterpillar complex, notably the looper (Chrysodeixis includens) in soybeans, the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in maize and the cotton leafworm caterpillar (Alabama argillacea) in cotton, as a control alternative aimed at mitigating damage and contributing to more sustainable agricultural practices. Experiments were carried out in each culture in various environments in the states of MT, MS, SP and PR in Brazil. A randomized block design with four replications was used in all the experiments. Agronomic traits, insect pest incidence and insecticide efficiency were evaluated for each of the crops. The data were subjected to after being subjected to stratified analysis of variance for each experimental phase. The interaction significant interactions were broken down to simple effects using Tukey's multiple comparison test of means at 5% probability. Subsequently, Scott-Knott mean grouping was used at 5% probability. Management using 1L per hectare of basil extract (Ocimum basilicum L) demonstrated satisfactory efficacy in controlling the caterpillar complex, approaching the results obtained with traditional chemical control.

Comparison between the Chemical Profiles of Hydrosols and Essential Oils of French Lavender, Geranium, and Basil

The essential oil production process consists of distilling plant parts with water, where steam removes the volatile components from the material. Condensing this steam from the extraction results in the formation of two phases, an organic (essential oil) and an aqueous (hydrosol). Hydrosols or floral waters are not true solutions but dispersions with water as the continuous medium.1 Although they are market products, there is no regulation regarding their quality control, and there is a lack of compositional studies. Thus, this work aims to study the relationships between the chemical compositions of the two products that have the same raw material. Commercial samples of essential oil and hydrosol from French Lavender (Lavandula dentata), Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), and Basil (Ocimum basilicum) were kindly provided by Haje Organic Inputs. The organic components of the hydrosols (HL) were obtained through partitioning with 250 ml of hydrosol and 30 ml (3x) of petroleum ether. The ether was then evaporated with the aid of a rotary evaporator, and the resulting extract was dried with Na2SO4 and weighed. The hydrosol extracts and essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS.2 It was noted that only compounds with oxygenated functions were present in the HL, similar to those in the EO, varying only in isomerism or oxidation degree. The substances composing the EOs were divided into two groups called hydrocarbons (HC) and oxygenated (OXI), and the fraction each composed of the oils was calculated. The results were 21.30% HC and 78.16% OXI for French Lavender, Geranium 8.54% HC and 80.32% OXI, and for Basil was 51.22 HC and 48.33 OXI. And the percentage of organic components in each HL is 0.0072%, 0.0138%, and 0.0223%, respectively. It is observed that the OXI fraction content of the oil does not influence the yield of the HLs, as Lavender and Geranium oils show a high OXI percentage and low recovery yield. It can be concluded that the HLs are heterogeneous samples, that the oxygenated function substances are the only ones present in their composition, and that they originate from the corresponding essential oil. The yield is not determined by the chemical composition, but it is pointed out to be due to operational factors of the production. The results prove that essential oils and hydrosols from the same plant do not always have corresponding chemical compositions. Therefore, in some cases, they should not be applied with the same therapeutic purpose.

Genetic linkage mapping and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) to identify genomic regions associated with cold tolerance and major volatiles.

Chilling sensitivity is one of the greatest challenges affecting the marketability and profitability of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in the US and worldwide. Currently, there are no sweet basils commercially available with significant chilling tolerance and traditional aroma profiles. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for chilling tolerance and aroma compounds in a biparental mapping population, including the Rutgers advanced breeding line that served as a chilling tolerant parent, 'CB15', the chilling sensitive parent, 'Rutgers Obsession DMR' and 200 F2 individuals. Chilling tolerance was assessed by percent necrosis using machine learning and aroma profiling was evaluated using gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were generated from genomic sequences derived from double digestion restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) and converted to genotype data using a reference genome alignment. A genetic linkage map was constructed and five statistically significant QTLs were identified in response to chilling temperatures with possible interactions between QTLs. The QTL on LG24 (qCH24) demonstrated the largest effect for chilling response and was significant in all three replicates. No QTLs were identified for linalool, as the population did not segregate sufficiently to detect this trait. Two significant QTLs were identified for estragole (also known as methyl chavicol) with only qEST1 on LG1 being significant in the multiple-QTL model (MQM). QEUC26 was identified as a significant QTL for eucalyptol (also known as 1,8-cineole) on LG26. These QTLs may represent key mechanisms for chilling tolerance and aroma in basil, providing critical knowledge for future investigation of these phenotypic traits and molecular breeding.

Quinic and caffeic acids derivatives: Affecting antioxidant capacities and phenolics contents of certain therapeutic and specialty crops employing water and ethanolic extracts

Recently, there has been a growing interest in medicinal and specialty crops due to their high content of health-promoting compounds, such as quinic acid and caffeic acid derivatives. In light of this, the objective of this study was to analyze the levels of caffeic and quinic acid, specifically caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, in water and water-ethanolic extracts obtained from medicinal plants, including chocolate mint (Mentha piperita L), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), and sweet potato tops (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the water extracts contained significantly higher amounts of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives than the ethanolic extracts. Among the plants tested, sweetpotato leaves exhibited the highest total phenolic acids content (28.60 mg CQA·g−1), followed by lemon balm (14.71 mg CQA·g−1) and chocolate mint (5.49 mg CQA·g−1) in water-ethanolic extracts. The water-ethanolic extracts from sweet potato leaves were particularly rich in caffeoylquinic acids, especially 5-CQA (10.84 ± 0.31 mg CQA·g−1) and 3-CQA (6.69 ± 0.14 mg CQA·g−1), followed by lemon balm (3.81 ± 0.14 and 1.37 ± 0.05 mg CQA·g−1). On the other hand, sweet basil had the lowest content of all compounds (0.41 and 2.29 mg CQA·g−1). Additionally, an identifiable compound, 3, 4, 5 tri-caffeoylquinic acids (2.98 ± 0.09 mg CQA·g−1), was detected only in sweetpotato leaves and not in the other herbs studied. The findings of this study highlight the significant phytochemical properties present in these medicinal plants, which could have potential therapeutic applications for various conditions.

Flowering Ocimum gratissimum intercropped in tea plantations attracts and reduces Apolygus lucorum populations.

Apolygus lucorum is one of the most important piercing-sucking insect pests of the tea plant. In this study, we assessed the attractiveness of basil plants to A. lucorum and the effectiveness of Ocimum gratissimum L. in the control of A. lucorum. The control efficiency of main volatile chemicals emitted from O. gratissimum flowers was also evaluated. Among seven basil varieties, O. gratissimum was more attractive to A. lucorum adults and was selected as a trap plant to assess its attractiveness to A. lucorum and effects on natural enemies in tea plantations. The population density of A. lucorum on trap strips of O. gratissimum in tea plantations was significantly higher than that on tea at 10-20 m away from the trap strips. Intercropping O. gratissimum with tea plants, at high-density significantly reduced A. lucorum population levels. Eucalyptol, limonene, β-ocimene, and linalool were the four dominant components in the O. gratissimum flower volatiles, and their emissions showed a gradual upward trend over the sampling period. Olfactometer assays indicated that eucalyptol and dodecane showed attraction to A. lucorum. High numbers of A. lucorum were recorded on limonene, eucalyptol, and myrcene-baited yellow sticky traps in field trials in which 11 dominant volatiles emitted by O. gratissimum flowers were evaluated. Our research indicated that the aromatic plant O. gratissimum and its volatiles could attract A. lucorum and planting O. gratissimum has the potential as a pest biocontrol method to manipulate A. lucorum populations in tea plantations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Cytotoxic Efficacy of Ocimum basilicum Leaf Extract-Mediated TiO2 Nanocrystals

Enhanced Cytotoxic Efficacy of Ocimum basilicum Leaf Extract-Mediated TiO2 Nanocrystals

Co-cultivation of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) with food crops for efficient resource utilization and increasing the farm profits

Ocimum basilicum L., or sweet basil, is a valuable aromatic and medicinal plant that is used in aromatherapy to energize, relax, and stimulate the mind. It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry for its anti-ageing and therapeutic qualities. Farmers who depend only on conventional food crops run the danger of crop failure as a result of unanticipated circumstances like uncertain weather, pest outbreaks, or disease epidemics. In contrast, intercropping offers a kind of insurance against total crop loss by diversifying farm outputs. The present study aims to increase field productivity and efficient use of land resources under sweet basil-based inter-cropping systems. In the experiment, 17 different treatments (12 treatments comprising of inter-cropping of sweet basil (55,555 plants/ha plant population) with four conventional crops namely maize (Zea mays L.), pearlmillet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) at three plant populations, i.e., 100% (55,555 plants/ha), 75% (37,037 plants/ha), and 50% (27,777 plants/ha). Also, all five sole crops (4 conventional crops and sweet basil) were planted. The study findings showed that the maximum fresh herb yield of sole sweet basil culture at 100% plant population (14.2 t/ha with 0.70% oil content and 99.2 kg/ha oil yield) was almost equal to that of co-cultivation of sweet basil with pigeonpea at 50% plant population (14 t/ha with 0.70% oil content and 98.2 kg/ha oil yield). Similarly, LER varied from 1.50 to 1.90 and the ATER varied from 1.32 to 1.82. The inter-cropping system based on sweet basil is an advantageous strategy to maximize resource use efficiency. Nevertheless, net returns of sweet basil were found to be maximum with pigeon pea (1762–1881 USD/ha) followed by okra (1507–1638 USD/ha), maize (1042–1310 USD/ha) and pearl millet (809–1029 USD/ha). Moreover, for better herb yield and net returns, it was more profitable for the farmers to co-cultivate sweet basil with pigeon pea at 50% plant population.