First Cultivation Trials of Lemon Basil (Ocimum Basilicum Var. Citriodorum) in Turkey

Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 3 (3): 395-397, 2000 © Copyright by the Capricorn Publications, 2000

First Cultivation Trials of Lemon Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum) in Turkey

Sezen Tansi1 and Sengul Nacar2 1Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Adana-Turkey 2Sütçü Ýmam University, Faculty of Science, K. Maraþ-Turkey

Abstract: Lemon basil is grown as a culinary herb, used fresh and dried in floral arrangements, and potpourris. In this research we studied essential oil component and herb and oil yields of commercial lemon basil grown in Mediterranean region of Turkey. Lemon basil were cultivated under Çukurova conditions in Turkey, and could be harvested 3 times at the full-flowering. In our conditions, harvest number increased four providing that earlier sowing is performed. Total fresh leaf yield and total dried leaf yield were 2760 kg/da and 571.52 kg/da, respectively. Essential oil components in leaves and flowers were analyzed by GC. The maximum essential oil yield (0.71 %) was obtained at the I. harvest time from the dried flowers. Main component of essential oil was citral. The maximum citral (neral+geraniol) content (89.28 %) was determined at the II harvest time.

Key words: Labiatae, lemon basil, yield, citral, Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum

Introduction Lemon basil was harvested at the full bloom and three harvests Lemon basil cultivar with an intense lemon aroma, light green were taken during June, August and September respectively under leaves, and small white flowers, provides a new type of lemon the Mediterranean region during summer period. After the each basil for the herb industry (Morales and Simon, 1997). As a result harvest, all plant materials were immediately weighed, then, the of the increased interest in the use of basil as ornamental herbs leaves, flowers and stems were separated. Morales and Simon (1997) initiated a selection and breeding Fresh flowers, fresh leaf, dried flowers and dried leaf were program to identify promising new ornamental basils. First subjected to hydro distillation for 3 h using a clevenger type released cultivar, originally identified in an extensive intermated apparatus for determining the oil content (% v/w). germplasm collection of Ocimum spp. in 1989, was developed by The composition of oils fresh leaf and flowers of basil were selfing and selection from a tall upright basil with an intense evaluated by Carlo Erba GC equipped with OV-1 column carrier lemon aroma (Morales et al., 1993) and released as “Sweet Dani” gas N2, GC oven temperature was kept at 100EC, injector in 1996 (Morales and Simon, 1997). Sweet dani was derived by temperature, 225EC, detector temperature 250EC at 20 min. four generations of pedigree selection from a plant found in the Identification of each individual compounds was made by progeny of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) PI# 358465 comparison of their retention times with those of authentic had undergone natural out crossing with 51 order USDA (originally samples. from Yugoslavia) that basil accessions from six countries (Iran, All results were subjected to a statistical analysis of variance to Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Zambia) planted for determine Least Significant Differences. observation in 1985 (Morales and Simon, 1997). New basil (Ocimum basilicum) varieties appearing on the German Results and Discussion market are characterised by a new range of aromas which have Lemon basil could be grown under the Cukurova conditions been used in their nomenclature, such as the varieties Cinnamon, prevailing Mediterranean type climate, which has hot and drought Lemon and Liquorice. Lemon remains of small stature and summer and mild rainy winters consequently, were harvested at compact with thin and fairly small leaves, recommending it for full flowering three times a year. culinary decoration (Echim, 1993). Lemon basil is grown as a Leaf of O. basilicum flavor changes after flowers open culinary herb, used fresh and dried in floral arrangements, and (Rindels, 1998). Each basil cultivars were harvested at the full potpourris (Hasegawa et al., 1997). Also lemon basil is used drug, bloom for the highest flower yields and essential oil yields perfume, spice and cosmetic industry. (Halva, 1987; Morales et al., 1993). During the ontogeny of Chemical composition and morphological characteristics of basil O. basilicum the essential oil, flavonoid, tannin, polyphenol species are highly variable, depending largely on the source and contents changed much in quantity. can vary by extraction methods with developmental stage The maximum fresh herb yield (2054 kg/da) was obtained at the (Burbott and Loomis, 1967; Guenther, 1972). second harvest time (Table 1). Over all 5591 kg/da, this value is In this research we studied essential oil component and herb and lower than previously stated (7447 kg/da) in which O. basilicum oil yields of commercial lemon basil grown in Mediterranean region having (1.8 cineol, linalool, methyl cavicol, methyl eugenol and of Turkey. methyl cinnamate (Nacar, 1997). The maximum values of dried matter (22.5 %), dried herb yield (686.2 kg/da), fresh leaf yield Materials and Methods (1014 kg/da), dried leaf yield (213.6 kg/da), fresh flowers yield The seeds of Lemon basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were provided (390 kg/da) and dried flowers yield (122.0 kg/da) were Germany. The field trials have been carried out at the determined at the second harvest times (Table 1). Higher yields of experimental area of Field Crops Department of Agricultural O. basilicum were obtained from later phenological stages Faculty, Çukurova University in 1995 and 1996. (Putievsky et al., 1978). Sharma et al. (1987) stated that higher Field trials were arranged in the complete randomised block design yield of herb and oil of O. basilicum was recorded when with 3 replications. The experiments were carried out in two harvesting was done between early seeding (full bloom) to late consecutive years and the data were taken as the average of two seeding stage of growth at Delhi conditions. The maximum years. Seeds were sown in green house for raising seedlings essential oil content (0.7%) was obtained in dried leaves at the during last week of March in 1995 and 1996. When seedlings first harvest time (Table 2). In general, essential oil of dried have at least 2 pairs of true leaves were transplanted into the flowers and leaf of Lemon basil were higher than content of previously prepared plots in rows 20x25 cm apart on April. essential oil of fresh flowers, fresh leaf and dried leaf. During the vegetation period plots were weeded and irrigated Lemberkovics et al. (1993) reported that in early flowering stage when needed. the oil components were present first in leaves, but during the full

395 Tansi and Nacar: First cultivation trials of lemon basil (Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum) in Turkey

Table 1: Bio-Agronomic Parameters of Lemon Basil at Different Harvest Times Harvests Fresh Herb Dried Dried Herb Fresh leaf Dried leaf Fresh Flow Dried Flow Yield (Kg/da) Matter (%) Yield (Kg/da) Yield (Kg/da) Yield (Kg/da) Yield (Kg/da) Yield (Kg/da) I. harvest 1805 b 18.0 c 578.7 b 905.0 ab 190.1 a 312 b 99 ab II. harvest 2054 a 22.5 a 686.2 a 1014.0 a 213.6 a 390 a 122 a III. harvest 1732 b 20.0 b 504.0 b 841.2 b 167.8 b 289 b 77 b Total yield 5591 60.5 1768.9 2760.2 571.5 991 298 L.S.D.1= Least significant Differences * and ** P<0.01, 0.05 respectively

Table 2: Essential Oil Content of Basil at Different Harvest Times Harvests Essential oil ------Fresh Leaf (%) Fresh Flower (%) Dried Leaf (%) Dried Flower (%) I. harvest 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.7 II. harvest 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.6 III. harvest 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.4 L.S.D. (5 %) NS NS NS NS LSD= Least Significant Differences NS1= nonsignificant

Table 3: The Content of Major Compounds of Basil at Different Harvest Times as Influenced by the Part of Plant Harvests Neral Geranial Linalool ------Leaf Flower Average Leaf Flower Average Leaf Flower Average I. harvest 40.5 bcd 39.5 dc 40.0 bcd 47.3 bc 44.7 d 46.0 dc 3.6 f 4.1 d 3.8 e II.harvest 40.3 bcd 43.1 b 41.7 bcd 49.0 a 46.1 bcd 47.6 ab 3.8 ef 5.0 b 4.4 c III.harvest 38.4 d 47.3 a 42.9 bc 46.3 bc 39.3 f 42.8 e 4.8 b 5.8 a 4.9 b Average 39.7 43.3 47.5 43.4 4.1 4.9

L.S.D int. (5%) 3.4 ** 1.5 ** 0.3** LSD= Least Significant Differences * and ** P<0.01, 0.05 respectively and late flowering stages they concentrated mainly in flowers. Because lemon basil is a citral chemotype. The gene The essential oil content showed a variation but during the responsible for citral is dominant over geraniol and linalool ontogeny it reached own maximum already in the early flowering (Pushpangadan et al., 1975; Sobti et al., 1978). stage. Although the yields of lemon basil lower than the other Ocimum The main components of essential oil of fresh leaf and flowers chemotype, herb yields can be increased by taking 4 harvests were identified as linalool, and citral (neral+geranial). Citral from the earlier sowings at the Cukurova conditions, and linalool showed differences according to harvests and the consequently, oil yields can be increased. parts of plant (Table 3). This phenomena is also determined in the oil composition having citral Melissa officinalis leaves Acknowledgment (Schultze et al., 1993a, b). In general, differences can be due to This study was supported by a grant from the Research various factors influencing the oil composition of Melissa foundation of Cukurova University, also the authors wish to officinalis leaves (Koch-Heitzmann and Schultze, 1984). Previous thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. E. BAYRAM (Ege Univ. Izmir, Turkey) for authors Schultze et al. (1989), (1993a, b) and Hose et al. (1991) analyses. cited that oil composition of Melissa officinalis were changed according to the origin of plants, the date of harvest, ontogenetic stages of leaf development, the age of the leaves References collected, the upper and lower side of the leaves and the flowers. Burbott, A.J. and W.D. Loomis, 1967. Effects of light and temperature on the monoterpenes of peppermint. Plant Physiol., 42: 20-28. In our experiment, maximum citral (neral+geranial) content Echim, T., 1993. New and unusual basil varieties. Gerniise (Miinchen), (89.3 %) of lemon basil was obtained at the second harvest 29: 239-241. (Table 3). Morales and Simon (1997) stated that Citral contents Grayer, R.J., G.C. Kite, F.J. Goldstone, S.E. Bryan, A. Paton and (28-68 %) varied according to different lemon basils cultivars. E. Putievsky, 1996. Infraspecific taxonomy and essential oil Newly related cultivar Sweet Dani is taller and a higher chemotypes in sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum. Phytochemistry, concentration of citral (60 to 76%) than the commercial 43: 1033-1039. lemon basils studied. High citral content in the essential oil Guenther, E., 1972. The Production of Essential Oils: Methods of results in a distinct and strong lemon aroma (Morales and Distillation, Effleurage, Maceration and Extraction with Volatile Simon, 1997). Also, citral contents were reported to be between Solvents. In: The Essential Oils: History-Origin in Plants Production 53.5-75.0 percent in essential oil of a new citral-type chemotype Analysis, Guenther, E. (Ed.). Krieger Publ. Co., Malabar, FL., of O. basilicum cultivated in Indonesia (Sait and Lubis, 1991). In pp: 85-188. our experiment, the highest neral (47.3 %), geranial (49.01 %) Halva, S., 1987. Studies on fertilization of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) and linalool (5.8 %) were determined in flowering parts at the and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). 3. Oil yield of basil affected by fertilization. J. Agric. Sci., 59: 25-29. third harvest (Table 3). Neral and geraniol ratios of O. basilicum Hasegawa, Y., K. Tajima, N. Toi and Y. Sugimura, 1997. Characteristic var. citriodorum from fresh leaf were reported to be 39.8 and components found in the essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L. 50.9 percent respectively (Grayer et al., 1996). This finding Flavour Fragrance J., 12: 195-200. supported our values (Table 3). Hose, S., A. Zanglein, T. Van den Berg, W. Schultze, K.H. Kubeczka In the flowering stages the essential oil of basil contained and F.C. Czygan, 1991. Ontogenetic variation of the essential oil linalool Lemberkovics et al. (1993). Linalool content of lemon of Melissa officinalis L. Proceedings of the 22nd Symposium on basil is lower than the other Ocimum. basilicum chemotype. Essential Oils, September 11-14, 1991, Italy.

396 Tansi and Nacar: First cultivation trials of lemon basil (Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum) in Turkey

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