Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

REFERENCES

See the General References for APPLEQUIST;BAILEY2; BLUMENTHAL1;CLAUS;DER MARDEROSIAN
AND BEUTLER;FARNSWORTH3;FOGARTY;FOSTER AND DUKE;GOSSELIN;GRIEVE;JIANGSU;MCGUFFIN1&2;
MERCK;NANJING.

1. M. Ikram,Planta Med., 28 , 353 (1975).


2. D. Kostalova et al.,Chem. Pap., 40 , 389
   (1986).


3. V. M. Oleksevich, Introd. Eksp. Ekol.
   Rosl., 1 , 224 (1972).


4. N. Ivanovska and S. Philipov, Int. J.
   Immunopharmacol., 18 , 553 (1996).


5. F. Shamsa et al.,J. Ethnopharmacol., 64 ,
   161 (1999).


6. Z. Kowalewski et al., Arch. Immunol.
   Ther. Exp., 20 , 353 (1972).
   7. E. Andronescu et al.,Clujul Med., 46 , 627
   (1973).
   8. L. P. Naidovich et al., Farmatsiya
   (Moscow), 25 , 33 (1976).
   9. D. C. Fang et al.,Zhongguo Yaoli Xuebao,
   7 , 321 (1986).


7. P. Manalov et al.,Eksp. Med. Morfol., 24 ,
   41 (1985).


8. L. Jin and W. Z. Sui,Zhongguo Yaoli
   Xuebao, 7 , 475 (1986).


9. F. L. Li,Yaoxue Xuebao, 20 , 859 (1985).

BASIL, SWEET

Source: Ocimum basilicum L. (Family
Labiatae or Lamiaceae).

Common/vernacular names:Basil, common
basil, and sweet basil.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Annual herb, about 0.5 m high, thought to be
native to Africa and tropical Asia; cultivated
worldwide (e.g., Europe, India, and the United
States). There are many varieties, some of
which have different compositions and flavor-
ing characteristics. The plant is also strongly
affected by environmental factors such as
temperature, geographic location, soil, and
amount of rainfall.1,2Parts used are the dried
leaves and flowering tops.
An essential oil is obtained by steam distil-
lation. There are two major types of commer-
cial basil oils, namely, the true sweet basil oil
and the so-called exotic or Reunion, basil oil.
True sweet basil oil is distilled in Europe and
the United States; exotic basil oil is produced
in the Comoro Islands, the Seychelles, and the

Malagasy Republic. The two differ mainly in

their contents of d-camphor, linalool, and

estragole (methyl chavicol or 1-allyl-4-meth-

oxybenzene). Generally, the former does not

contain camphor and the latter contains little

or no linalool; also the former is levorotatory

and the latter is dextrorotatory.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

The volatile oil (ca. 0.08%) containsd-lin-

alool and estragole as the major components,

with the former up to 55% and the latter about

70%, depending on the sources (MASADA).3,4

Other components include methyl cinna-

mate (reported to be the major component

(ca. 28%) of a variety of sweet basil), 1,8-

cineole, eugenol, borneol, ocimene, geraniol,

anethole; 10-cadinols, b-caryophyllene,

a-terpineol, camphor, 3-octanone, methyleu-

genol, safrole, sesquithujene, and 1-epibicy-

closesquiphellandrene as well as juvocimene

1 and juvocimene 2, which are potent juve-

nile hormone mimics (JIANGSU).4–8There are

great variations in concentrations of these

components in the volatile oils from different

sources.

74 Basil, sweet