Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant capacity of nine basil cultivars

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical potential of nine basil varieties (Ocimum basilicum) grown under the same growth conditions, placed in one-gallon black plastic pots, containing a sand:perlite (80:20) mixture in a greenhouse. The genus Ocimum, part of the Lamiaceae family, includes around 150 species, many of which have been used medicinally since ancient times. In basil, various secondary metabolites such as terpenoids (including methyl chavicol, geraniol, linalool, 1,8-cineole, methyl eugenol, p-allylanisole, neryl acetate, and trans-bergamotene), flavonoids, phenols, anthocyanins, steroids, and tannins have been identified. Plants sample collections were conducted using a randomized design to ensure representative sampling of all nine basil varieties. The obtained samples were subsequently analyzed for phytochemical analysis in which, spectrophotometric methods were used for extracting and quantifying the phenolic compounds and flavonoids. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) further identified specific compounds. Phenolic compounds values ranged from 1.4 to 8.2 mg GAE/g DW, for flavonoids values oscillated between 54.7-8.1 mg QE/g DW and for antioxidant activity the best essay was by ABTS with superior numbers. Compared with the DPPH method, only the results obtained by the first method mentioned were analyzed. The highest values for gallic acid, morin and ferulic acid were 8.4, 2.1, 9.4 mg/g respectively. These findings can be useful for selecting basil varieties with high contents of bioactive compounds for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.