Genotype and Successive Harvests Interaction Affects Phenolic Acids and Aroma Profile of Genovese Basil for Pesto Sauce Production

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an essential ingredient of the Mediterranean cuisine due to its distinctive aroma. Genovese basil leaves are used to prepare “pesto”, a condiment that has always caught the interest of consumers and producers. Usually, basil for industrial processing is harvested more than once to extract a higher yield. However, successive cuts can affect quality traits that play a crucial role in defining the product’s final sensory profile. This research was aimed to evaluate the impact of cut on the quantitative and qualitative properties of three Genovese basil cultivars (Aroma 2, Eleonora and Italiano Classico) grown in an open field. Nitrate content, phenolic acids and aromatic profile were determined by ion chromatography (IC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) analysis, respectively. The second harvest increased fresh biomass and total phenolic acids content by 172% and 413%, respectively, with Italiano Classico recording the highest values. The combination of second-cut Aroma 2 yielded the lowest nitrate (473.8 mg kg−1 of fresh weight) and Eugenol (2.4%) levels. In the second harvest, Eleonora showed an increase in eugenol and trans-α-bergamotene of 75.3% and 48.2%, respectively; whereas, eucalyptol and β-cis-ocimene decreased by 34.4% and 51.6%, respectively. Although successive harvests may increase basil yield and quality overall, the cultivar-dependent response to successive cuts needs to be accounted for in order to accomplish standardization of industrial “pesto” sauce.

Regulated Salinity Eustress in a Floating Hydroponic Module of Sequentially Harvested Lettuce Modulates Phytochemical Constitution, Plant Resilience, and Post-Harvest Nutraceutical Quality

“…These data clearly testify the increasing demand of consumers for health-promoting natural products and fresh foods. Green leafy vegetables, in particular, can provide minerals, dietary fibers, vitamins, and many other antioxidant metabolites essential for a balanced diet that reduces the risk of oxidative stress-related aging and degenerative diseases while promoting psychophysical well-being [2][3][4][5]. In Europe, the consumption of high quality ready-to-eat (RTE) 100% edible leafy greens has reached Agronomy 2021, 11, 1040 2 of 16 a turnover of about 600 million Euros [6], and Italy ranked as the leader in Europe for the production of RTE leafy greens with about 15,000 ha and 160 kilotons of greenhouse production per year [7][8][9].…”

“…Successive harvests/cuts can modulate the quality of horticultural products, reshaping their final nutritional, nutraceutical, and sensory profile as well. In different basil genotypes, successive (two, three or four) cuts of the apical portion during the plant growth cycle could increase phenolic compounds and yield (as fresh biomass) [3,41]. Green and red lettuce at the second harvest showed higher dry biomass, mineral accumulation, and photosynthetic activity [8].…”

Strategic Successive Harvesting of Rocket and Spinach Baby Leaves Enhanced Their Quality and Production Efficiency

“…The fact that colour was virtually unchanged between the first harvest and harvests from successive revegetations is critical since the visual quality remained stable and thus prohibiting the markets from avoiding the product. Similarly, green Genovese basil did not show significant colour differences between the first and second cut [28]. According to Madeira et al [31], colour lightness is strongly correlated with chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration.…”

“…However, revegetated spinach already had a well-developed root system which boosted the overground development after each cut, leading to a higher total yield. Similar to spinach, in a study with three green Genovese basil cultivars, plants produced significantly more yield in the second cut compared to the first cut [28]. On the contrary, green and red lettuce exhibited greater yield in leaves harvested at the first cut compared to the second cut [18], while Corrado et al [29] found greater harvest index (i.e., leaf mass-to-total biomass), as well as leaf weight and leaf area in the first cut of sweet basil compared to the second cut.…”

“…Sweet basil developed more nitrates and total nitrogen in the second cut compared to the first cut [29]. Ciriello et al [28] found that the nitrate content of three basil cultivars was variably affected by the two successive cuts and commented that a clear genotypic impact ensued. Cichorium spinosum leaves produced lower nitrate amounts in the first cut compared to three or two successive cuts in September and December, respectively [35].…”