Volatile Organic Compounds from Basil Essential Oils: Plant Taxonomy, Biological Activities, and Their Applications in Tropical Fruit Productions

Abstract

Basils of the genus Ocimum are aromatic plants grown widely throughout the tropical and temperate regions. The essential oils obtained from their aerial parts are enriched with volatile organic compounds with high market demand for food and pharmaceutical industries. The volatile organic compounds have been shown to exhibit biological activities. Therefore, their novel applications have been extensively explored in the last few decades. The most widely available basils in the tropical areas include white holy basil (O. sanctum var. Shyama), red holy basil (O. sanctum var. Rama), Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum), lemon basil (O. citriodorum), and tree basil (O. gratissimum). Over 60 volatiles of different classes have been exclusively described, and some of them could be useful as biomarkers for genotype specification. The major volatile ingredient is the phenylpropanoids, such as methyl eugenol, which has the potential as a natural product for mitigating Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) during tropical fruit production. Moreover, basil essential oils are also used to control diseases of the fruits during post-harvest storage. As a result, the application of basil essential oils as a sustainable defect control strategy for tropical fruit value chains seems intriguing. This review provides comprehensive information on plant taxonomy and volatile compositions of the essential oil fractions from different basil species. Their biological activities and applications are also discussed, mainly during the pre- and post-production of tropical fruits. Additionally, the available techniques to enhance the efficacy of the volatile active compounds are also described.

Combination of cassava starch biopolymer and essential oils for coating table eggs

“…However, the joint applicability of these biopolymer coatings and essential oils on eggs is still not common. The addition of essential oils into coating materials can be through techniques such as emulsification (Tangpao et al, 2022).…”

Antibacterial Activity of Lemon Basil (Ocimum citriodorum) and Key Lime (Citrus aurantifolia S.) Extract Combination on Streptococcus mutants

“…Basil is one aromatic plant that is widely used to enrich the flavor of cooked food. The richness of volatile organic compound that basil has, attract food and pharmaceutical research and industries [20]. While, key lime has been used as food and for medicinal purposes.…”

“…We were using the lemon basil or known as "kemangi" in Indonesian since it grows and is used widely by Indonesian people. There are many different species of basil around the world, such as holy basil (O. sanctum), sweet or Thai basil (O. basilicum), lemon basil (O. citriodorum), and tree basil (O. gratissimum) [20]. When compared with other species of basil, lemon basil (O. citriodorum) has slightly better activity against some bacterial strains, especially Gram-positive bacteria.…”

“…About 100% concentration of ethanolic extract of kemangi or lemon basil inhibits the Staphylococcus aureus, another positive gram bacteria [13]. Some of the volatile compounds found in basil are phenylpropanoids, such as estragole, eugenol, and methyl eugenol [5], [10], [20], [25]. This compound has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that have been used for food or pharmacology needs [25].…”

“…This compound has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that have been used for food or pharmacology needs [25]. Especially eugenol that also used in dental remedies in dentistry since it has antimicrobial and analgesic effects [20]. No wonder Basil is also considered a traditional medicine and flavoring agent for food and has also been reported as a dental and oral traditional remedy for its eugenol properties [7].…”