Czech J. Food Sci. Vol. 20, No.

6: 223228

Essential Oil Composition of Ocimum basilicum L.

and Ocimum minimum L. in Turkey

1 2
MUSA ZCAN and JEAN-CLAUSE CHALCHAT

l
Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Seluk University, Konya,
2
Turkey; Universite Blaise Pascal de Clermont, Laboratoire de Chimie des Huiles Essentielles,
Aubiere Cedex, France

Abstract

ZCAN M., CHALCHAT J.-C. (2002): Essential oil composition of Ocimum basilicum L. and Ocimum minimum L. in Turkey.
Czech J. Food Sci., 20: 223228.

The constituents of essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation of the overground parts of Ocimum basilicum L. and Ocimum
minimum L. from Turkey were examined by GC-MS. A total of 49 and 41 components, respectively, were identified accounting
for 88.1% and 74.4% of the oils of O. basilicum and O. minimum, respectively. The oil of O. basilicum contained, as main
components, methyl eugenol (78.02%), -cubebene (6.17%), nerol (0.83%) and -muurolene (0.74%). Major compounds in the
volatile oil of O. minimum were geranyl acetate (69.48%), terpinen-4-ol (2.35%) and octan-3-yl-acetate (0.72%). The essential oil
of O. basilicum was characterised by its high content of methyl eugenol (78.02%), whereas the most important essential oil
constituent of O. minimum was geranyl acetate (69.48%).

Keywords: O. basilicum L.; O. minimum L.; Lamiaceae; essential oil

Basil (Ocimum spp.), belonging to the Lamiaceae fam- dental and oral products, and in fragrances (GUENTHER
ily, is a pleasent by smelling perennial shrub which grows 1952; HEATH 1981; AKGL 1989; SIMON et al. 1990; LA-
in several regions all over the world (AKGL 1993; BARI- CHOWICZ et al. 1996; MACHALE et al. 1997). There are
AUX et al. 1992). Basil is one of the species used for the many types, some large and some small, with a range of
commercial seasoning. It is commonly known that the pres- leaf colours from green to purple up to variated. Basil is
ence of essential oils and their composition determine the native to India but is grown commercially all over the
specific aroma of plants and the flavour of the condiments. Mediterranean region and in California (HEATH 1981).
Many species of aromatic plants belonging to the Lami- Basil is a condimental plant cultivated in some parts of
aceae family grow wild in the Mediterranean basin (AKGL Turkey, and used frequently in soups, desserts, pickles,
1989; MAROTTI et al. 1996; SANDA et al. 1998; MARTINS pizza, spagetti sauce, egg, cheese dishes, tomate juice,
et al. 1999). dressings, confectionery, salads, meat products etc. as a
There are usually considerable variations in the con- flavouring agent. Also, basil is well known as a plant of a
tents of the major components within this species. In a folk medicinal value and as such is accepted officially in a
study of essential oils of different geographical origins, number of countries (HEATH 1981; LAWRENCE 1985). The
LAWRENCE (1988) found that the main constituents of leaves of basil are also used in folk medicine as tonic and
the essential oil of basil are produced by two different vermifuge. Also, basil tea taken hot is good for treating
biochemical pathways, the phenylpropanoids (methyl nausea, flatulance and dysentery (BAYTOP 1984). Basil is
chavicol, eugenol, methyleugenol and methyl cinnamate) used in pharmacy for diuretic and stimulating properties,
by the shikimic acid pathway, and the terpenes (linalool in perfumes and cosmetics for its smell; in fact, it is a part
and geraniol) by the mevalonic acid pathway. of many fragrance compositions (BARIAUX et al. 1992;
Sweet basil is a popular culinary herb and a source of KHATRI et al. 1995). Its oil has been found to be beneficial
essential oils extracted by steam distillation from the leaves for the alleviation of mental fatigue, colds, spasms, rhini-
and the flowering tops which are used to flavour foods, in tis, and as a first aid treatment for wasp stings and snake

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bites. The essential oil has antifungal, physicochemical ionization detector and a CP WAX 51 fused silica column
and insect-repelling activity (LAHARIYA & RAO 1979; (25 m 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 m film thicknes ). Temperature
DUBE et al. 1989; ZCAN 1998; MARTINS et al. 1999). It is was kept at 50C for 5 min and programmed to reach 220C
also regarded as highly antiseptic and has been applied at the rate of 3C per min. A CP W AX 51fused silica
in boths to prevent postpartum infections. One can in- WCOT column (60 m 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 m) for GC/MS
hale the vapours of the infusion of the leaves of O. mini- was used with helium as carrier gas. For GC/MS, a CP-
mum or take a bath to improve the general conditions and WAX 52 fused silica CB column (50 m 0.3 mm; 0.25 m
to ameliorate the respiratory function (MARTINS et al. film thicknes) was used with helium as carrier gas and
1999). coupled to a HP mass spectrometer: ionization energy
During the past few years there has been a marked in- 70 eV. Temperature programming was from 50240C at
crease in the interest shown in the herbal spices. One of the rate of 3C/min. The samples were injected at the in-
the most popular of the spices is basil which is used to jector temperature of 240C. The components were identi-
relish many kinds of foods (MAROTTI et al. 1996; HASE- fied by comparing linear Kovats indices (KI), their retention
GAWA et al. 1997; RAVID et al. 1997). Some studies on the times (RT) and mass spectra with those obtained from the
composition of the essential oil of basil have been carried authentic samples and/or the MS library.
out and the results have been published (RIAZ et al. 1994;
KHATRI et al. 1995; LACHOWICZ et al. 1996; PINO et al. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
1996; VENSKUTANIS et al. 1996; RAVID et al. 1997; HASE-
GAWA et al. 1997; SANDA et al. 1998; YUSUF et al. 1998; Chemical compositions of the essential oils of Ocimum
MARTINS et al. 1999; KEITA et al. 2000; MONDELLO et al. basilicum L. and Ocimum minimum L. are given in Table 1
2002). The essential oil is a liquid with lightly yellowish in the order of the retention times of the constituents.
colour and a characteristic smell. The yield of essential oil Fourty-nine constituents were identified in O. basili-
from different plant parts varies between 0.151.59%, and cum, representing 88.1% of the oil (Table 1). Methyl eu-
it depends also on the seasonal factor and locality. Previ- genol (78.02%), -cubebene (6.17%), nerol (0.83%),
ously, as the characteristic compounds of basil essential -muurolene (0.74%), 3,7-dimethyloct-1,5-dien-3,7-diol
oil linalool, methyl chavicol, eugenol, estragol, thymol and (0.33%) and -cubebene (0.30%) were found as the major
p-cymen were found (AKGL 1989; KHATRI et al. 1995; compounds. The essential oil of O. minimum, represent-
PINO et al. 1996; MARTINS et al. 1999; KEITA et al. 2000). ing 74.4% of the oil, was characterised by the presence of
However, only limited studies were conducted so far on geranyl acetate (69.48%), terpinen-4-ol (2.35%), octan-3-
the Turkish plant and volatile oil (AKGL 1989; ZEK et yl-acetate (0.72%), n-octanol (0.36%), chavicol (0.22%) and
al. 1995). Therefore, in this study, we report on the chem- eugenol (0.13%).
ical composition of the essential oils obtained from the The essential oil from O. basilicum contained -pinene,
air-dried parts of Ocimum basilicum and O. minimum sabinene, -pinene, myrcene, limonene and (Z)- -ocimene
plants cultivated in Turkey. as the most important monoterpenes hydrocarbons.
Among the monoterpenic hydrocarbons in O. minimum oil,
MATERIAL AND METHODS -thujene, -pinene, sabinene, -pinene, myrcene, -ter-
pinene and limonene were the most important. The con-
Plant materials. Overground parts of Ocimum basili- tents of monoterpenic hydrocarbons were found to be
cum and Ocimum minimum were collected at the flower- low in both oils. Also, the amounts of oxygenated com-
ing stage in Iel (Ovacik-Glnar) in August 2001. Plants pounds such as 1,8-cineole, octen-3-ol, linalool, terpinen-
were identified and authenticated by a plant taxonomist. 4-ol (except for O. minimum), -terpineol and nerol in both
Voucher specimens were kept at the Herbarium of the De- samples were found to be low.
partment of Food Engineering with numbers OM1 and The oil of Ocimum spp. was the subject of former stud-
OB1. ies (AKGL 1989; BARITAUX et al. 1992; RAVID et al. 1997;
Recovery of the essential oil. Dried overground parts MARTINS et al. 1999; KEITA et al. 2000). It was previously
of the plants (about 100 g) were cut into small pieces and reported (KEITA et al. 2000) that the oil of O. basilicum
subjected to hydrodistillation for 3 h using a Clevenger- contained linalool (69%), eugenol (10%), (E)--bergamo-
type apparatus; the oils obtained were dried over anhy- tene (3%) and thymol (2%). Linalool (45.7%), eugenol
drous sodium sulphate. Essential oil yields of the air-dried (13.4%), methyl eugenol (9.57%) and fenchyl alcohol
overground parts of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum min- (3.64%) were reported to be the main components of the
imum as obtained by hydrodistillation were, respectively, previously analysed materials (AKGL 1989). KHATRI et
1.25% and 1.71%. al. (1995) found methyl chavicol (87.3%), linalool (5.4%),
Identification of components. For the identification of methyl eugenol (1.5%), -caryophyllene (2.4%), -pinene
the components, analytical gas chromatography (GC) was (1.0%), -pinene (0.8%), limonene (0.5%) and camphene
performed using DELSI 121 C apparatus fitted with a flame (02%). MAROTTI et al. (1996) reported the presence of

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Table 1. Chemical composition of Ocimum basilicum L. oil

No. RT KI Compound Concentration (%)

1 8.75 928 -pinene 0.002

2 9.92 960 benzaldehyde 0.002
3 10.24 969 sabinene 0.003
4 10.40 973 -pinene 0.002
5 10.90 987 myrcene 0.006
6 11.49 1 003 cis-hex-3-enyl acetate 0.005
7 12.15 1 022 p-cymene 0.005
8 12.29 1 027 limonene 0.009
9 12.45 1 031 eucalyptol 0.001
10 12.93 1 045 cis-beta-ocimene 0.007
11 13.77 1 070 cis-linalool oxide 0.002
12 14.31 1 085 trans-linalool oxide 0.001
13 15.45 1 120 linalool 0.003
14 15.85 1 133 neo-allo-ocimene 0.002
15 16.16 1 143 trans-myroxide 0.003
16 16.29 1 147 menth-2-en-1-ol 0.001
17 16.86 1 165 pinocarvone 0.002
18 17.40 1 182 terpinen-4-ol 0.007
19 17.68 1 191 3,7-dimethyloct-1,5-dien-3,7-diol 0.327
20 17.87 1 197 -terpineol 0.003
21 18.22 1 210 n-octyl acetate 0.021
22 18.45 1 217 endo-fenchyl acetate 0.036
23 18.67 1 225 nerol 0.825
24 19.04 1 238 neral 0.009
25 19.46 1 252 geraniol 0.259
26 19.89 1 267 geranial 0.010
27 20.88 1 301 carvacrol 0.028
28 21.67 1 330 bicycloelemene 0.012
29 21.85 1 337 exo-2-hydroxycineole acetate 0.048
30 22.07 1 345 -cubebene 6.170
31 22.61 1 365 3,7-dimethylocta-1,7-dien-3,6-diol 0.025
32 22.92 1 377 geranyl acetate 0.088
33 23.01 1 380 -ylangene 0.016
34 23.07 1 382 -bourbonene 0.042
35 23.23 1 388 -elemene 0.241
36 23.35 1 392 -cubebene 0.297
37 23.48 1 397 methyl eugenol 78.016
38 24.02 1 419 -caryophyllene 0.030
39 24.27 1 429 -copaene 0.087
40 24.32 1 431 trans-alpha-bergamotene 0.021
41 24.40 1 433 -guaiene 0.198
42 24.68 1 444 cadina-3,5-diene 0.147
43 24.82 1 450 epsilon-muurolene 0.736
44 24.94 1 455 -humulene 0.117
45 25.10 1 461 cis-muurola-4(14),5-diene 0.101
46 25.20 1 465 -acoradiene 0.071
47 25.42 1 474 -acoradiene 0.052
48 25.59 1 481 germacrene d 0.031
49 25.94 1 494 bicylogermacrene 0.006

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Table 2. Chemical composition of Ocimum minimum L. oil

No. RT KI Compound Concentration (%)

1 8.50 922 -thujene 0.002

2 8.77 929 -pinene 0.004
3 9.97 961 benzaldehyde 0.007
4 10.27 970 sabinene 0.010
5 10.42 974 -pinene 0.003
6 10.66 980 octen-3-0l 0.004
7 10.92 988 myrcene 0.013
8 11.52 1 004 cis-3-hexenyl acetate 0.002
9 11.87 1 014 -terpinene 0.003
10 12.29 1 027 limonene 0.002
11 12.36 1 029 -phellandrene 0.003
12 12.44 1 031 eucalyptol 0.010
13 12.94 1 045 trans--ocimene 0.006
14 13.33 1 057 gamma-terpinene 0.13
15 13.78 1 070 cis-linalool oxide 0.010
16 14.32 1 086 trans-linalool oxide 0.030
17 14.60 1 094 n-octanol 0.355
18 15.55 1 123 linalool 0.012
19 15.69 1 128 octan-3-yl acetate 0.720
20 15.92 1 136 neo-allo-ocimene 0.013
21 15.97 1 137 cyclopentanal-1,2-dimethyl-3(1-methylethenyl) 0.055
22 16.31 1 147 cis-menth-2-en-1-ol 0.033
23 16.44 1 152 plinol 0.022
24 17.43 1 183 terpinen-4-ol 2.352
25 17.73 1 193 methyl calicylate 0.019
26 17.88 1 197 -terpineol 0.022
27 18.26 1 211 n-octyl acetate 0.007
28 18.69 1 226 nerol 0.034
29 18.82 1 230 cis-3-hexenyl valerate 0.027
30 19.36 1 249 linalyl acetate 0.194
31 19.43 1 251 geraniol 0.070
32 19.66 1 259 chavicol 0.224
33 20.31 1 281 geranyl acetate 69.48
34 20.37 1 283 bornyl acetate 0.095
35 20.68 1 294 myrtenyl formate 0.03
36 20.90 1 302 carvacrol 0.043
37 21.69 1 331 -cycloelemene 0.032
38 21.86 1 337 exo-2-hydroxycineole acetate 0.018
39 22.09 1 346 -cubebene 0.120
40 22.37 1 356 eugenol 0.126
41 22.89 1 376 -copaene 0.028

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linalool, methyl chavicol and eugenol as main components istics of essential oil from basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) grown
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Received for publication September 18, 2002

Accepted after corrections November 7, 2002

Souhrn

ZCAN M., CHALCHAT J.-C. (2002): Sloen silic z Ocimum basilicum L. a Ocimum minimum L. tureckho pvodu. Czech
J. Food Sci., 20: 223228.

Sloky silic izolovanch hydrodestilac z nadzemnch st rostlin Ocimum basilicum L. a Ocimum minimum L. pvodem
z Turecka byly analyzovny plynovou chromatografi (GC-MS). Celkov poet identifikovanch sloek byl 49 (O. basilicum)
a 41 (O. minimum); ty tvoily 88,1 % (O. basilicum) a 74,4 % (O. minimum) z celkovho obsahu silic. Hlavnmi slokami silice
z O. basilicum byly methyleugenol (78,02 %), -cubeben (6,17 %), nerol (0,83 %), a -muurolen (0,74 %). V silici O. minimum
byly nejvce zastoupeny geranyl acett (69,48 %), terpinen-4-ol (2,35 %), a oktan-3-yl-acett (0,72 %). Pro silici z O. basilicum
byl tedy charakteristick vysok obsah methyleugenolu (78,02 %), zatmco nejvznamnj slokou silice z O. minimum byl
geranyl acett (69,48 %).

Klov slova: O. basilicum L.; O. minimum L.; Lamiaceae; silice

Corresponding author:

DR. MUSA ZCAN, Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Seluk University, ida Muh Bol, 42031 Konya,
Turkey
tel.: + 90 332 241 0041, fax: + 90 332 241 0108, e-mail: mozcan@[Link]

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