ANALYSIS OF THE ESSENTIAL OILS OF TWO CULTIVATED BASIL (OCIMUM BASILICUM L.) FROM IRAN

The chemical compositions of the essential oils of Ocimum basilicum L. cv. purple and Ocimum basilicum L. cv. green cultivated in Iran were investigated by GC-MS. Twenty constituents (98.5% of the total oil) were identified in the volatile oil of O. basilicum L. cv. Purple. The main constituents found in the oil were methyl chavicol (52.4%), linalool (20.1%), epi-α-cadinol (5.9%) and trans-α-bergamotene (5.2%). In the volatile oil of O. basilicum L. cv. green, twelve components were characterized representing 99.4% of the total oil. Methyl chavicol (40.5%), geranial (27.6%), neral (18.5%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.4%) were the major components. Methyl chavicol is the dominant constituent in each of the two oils. Although the oil of green basil was characterized by a highccontent (46.1%) of citral (neral and geranial), citral was not detected in the oil of purple basil oil.