Effects of plant organ and leaf drying on essential oil and phenolic composition in a Turkish landrace-enriched sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) collection


Zorlu A., TELCİ İ., ELMASTAŞ M., MISIRLI D., Genç N.

Horticulture Environment and Biotechnology, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s13580-026-00828-w
  • Dergi Adı: Horticulture Environment and Biotechnology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Environment Index, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Antioxidant activity, Chemotyping, Essential oil, Germplasm characterisation, Phenolic acids, Ocimum basilicum
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Türkiye harbours diverse local basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) populations whose phytochemical and antioxidant properties remain incompletely characterised at panel scale. We profiled essential-oil chemotypes, fresh-versus-dried phenolics and multi-assay antioxidant capacity in 70 genotypes including 48 Turkish landraces. Genotypes were grown in a randomized complete block design at Tokat, Türkiye. Essential oils from leaves and flowers were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed chromatographically; fresh- and dry-leaf phenolic compounds were profiled by mass spectrometry; antioxidant capacity was assessed using radical-scavenging, reducing-power and lipid-peroxidation inhibition assays. Chemotypes were defined by hierarchical cluster analysis. Essential-oil content ranged 0.20–3.80 mL · 100 g⁻¹ dry weight, averaging approximately 1.8-fold higher in flowers than leaves (1.79 vs. 1.01). Multivariate analysis identified 12 chemotypes; linalool-dominant profiles were most common. Total phenolic content varied 4.7-fold (5.85–27.33 mg gallic-acid equivalents · g⁻¹). Across 62 paired genotype means, total phenolic content correlated strongly with three Trolox-equivalent endpoint antioxidant assays (r = 0.93, 0.91 and 0.87; all p < 0.001); a separate kinetic lipid-peroxidation inhibition assay gave divergent rankings. The panel reveals substantial functional diversity within Turkish basil germplasm under Tokat field conditions; multi-environment validation, molecular characterisation and bioavailability evaluation are required before cultivar selection for specific essential-oil or antioxidant traits.