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Basil (Ocimum L.) plants are used for culinary, medicinal, and ornamental purposes. The genus Ocimum contains more than 60 species of herbs and shrubs that originated in the tropics. The genus is highly variable and possesses a wide range of diversity at the level of morphology, chemical, and genetic make-up due to polyploidy, aneuploidy, and inter-and intraspecific hybridizations. In 2021 and 2022, a study was undertaken to assess the extent of morpho-chemical variations among different basil genotypes preserved in the gene bank of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. The testing was performed on fifteen different basil genotypes of five species: O. × africanum, O. americanum ('Lime' and 'Togo' types), O. basilicum ('Adi F1', 'Cinnamon', 'Dark opal', 'Genovese', 'Mittelgroßlättriges Grünes', 'Ohře', 'Sweet Aroma', 'Thai basil' and 'Turkish basil'), O. minimum 'Törpe', and O. sanctum ('green and purple holy basils'). The genotypes showed significant variation in morphology and bioactive chemical constituents. Hence, among the sweet basil genotype, 'Genovese', 'Sweet Aroma', and 'Cinnamon' demonstrated the most substantial morphological growth, resulting in higher fresh biomass (>425 g/plant). Ocimum × africanum exhibited an exceptionally high essential oil yield (2.6 ml/plant) and essential oil content (3.4%), while 'Törpe' plants followed with the second-highest essential oil content (1.9%). The 'Turkish basil' stood out with the highest total polyphenol content (218.8 mg GAE/g DM) and antioxidant capacity (290.4 mg AAE/g DM). The essential oils of different basil genotypes showed a wide diversity in their composition, except for 'Thai basil', which primarily contained estragole (53.3%) as its main component, the other sweet basil genotypes, 'Törpe' and 'Lime' displayed linalool (ranged between 32% and 59%) as a major constituent in their essential oil. Purple holy basil had a notable presence of trans-ß-caryophyllene (36.2%) and eugenol (32.2%), while 'green holy basil's' essential oil consisted of 1,8-cineole (22%), estragole (24%), and bisabolene (31%). The essential oil of 'Hoary basil' was composed of 1,8-cineole (36%), camphor (18%), and limonene (14%). Togo basil was characterized by a significant amount of methyl cinnamate (61%). In total, fifteen genotypes were studied, and from these, three morphologically distinct and seven chemo-diversity were identified, illustrating the extensive intra- and inter-specific diversity present among basil genotypes.
Mulugeta et al. (Tue,) studied this question.