title: Chemical composition and some biological activities of the essential oils from basil Ocimum different cultivars.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The plants belonging to the Ocimum genus of the Lamiaceae family are considered to be a rich source of essential oils which have expressed biological activity and use in different area of human activity. There is a great variety of chemotypes within the same basil species. Essential oils from three different cultivars of basil, O. basilicum var. purpureum, O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora, and O. citriodorum Vis. were the subjects of our investigations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The oils were obtained by steam distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The gas chromatography mass selective analysis was used to determine their chemical composition. The antioxidant activities of these essential oils were measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assays; the tyrosinase inhibition abilities of the given group of oils were also assessed spectophotometrically, and the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was determined by the agar diffusion method, minimal inhibitory concentrations were expressed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the results, the qualitative and quantitative composition of essential oils was quite different: O. basilicum var. purpureum essential oil contained 57.3% methyl-chavicol (estragol); O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora oil had 68.0% linalool. The main constituents of O. citriodorum oil were nerol (23.0%) and citral (20.7%). The highest antioxidant activity was demonstrated by O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora essential oil. This oil has also exhibited the highest tyrosinase inhibition level, whereas the oil from O. citriodorum cultivar demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained indicate that these essential oils have antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity and can be used as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in medicine, food industry and cosmetics.
authors.affiliation: Nairian CJSC, Khorenatsi 15, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Arpi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avetisyan
authors.affiliation: Nairian CJSC, Khorenatsi 15, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Anahit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markosian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, 1 A. Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Margarit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrosyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, 1 A. Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Naira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahakyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, 1 A. Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Anush
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babayan
authors.affiliation: Nairian CJSC, Khorenatsi 15, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Samvel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aloyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, 1 A. Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia. Trchounian@ysu.am.
authors.forename: Armen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trchounian
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D003124:Colorimetry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D031339:Ocimum / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase
keywords: Antibacterial activity; Antioxidant; Citral; Essential oil; Linalool; Methyl-chavicol; Nerol; Ocimum