Arpi Avetisyan
Nairian CJSC
Armenia
Title: Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils of Ocimum basilicum purpureum, Ocimum basilicum thyrsiflora and Ocimum citrodorum
Biography
Biography: Arpi Avetisyan
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of essential oils from three different species of basil, O.basilicumpurpureum('Purple basil'), O.basilicumthyrsiflora('Thai basil'), and O. citrodorum ('Lemon basil'),and to test their biological activities. The three basil species were cultivated in the same field, at the elevation of 1600m above sea level, in the Kotayk Region of Armenia. The essential oils were obtained by steam distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, a HP GC-MS setup was used to determine their chemical composition. According to the results, Purple basil essential oil contained 57.3% of methyl-chavicol (estragol); Thai basil oil had 68.0% of linalool and the main constituents of Lemon basil oil were nerol (23.0%) and citral (20.7%). The antioxidant activities of these essential oils were measured using DPPH assays. The highest antioxidant activity was demonstrated by Thai basil essential oil: IC50 value for it was equal to the standardized Grapefruit Seed Extract used as a control sample. The tyrosinase inhibition abilities of all three oils were also assessed. Obtained data indicate that basil essential oils can be useful natural agents for cosmetic applications and food dietary supplements. To test the possibilities for cosmetic application, several synergistic mixes containing essential oils from all three basil species were created and added to cosmetic cream bases. The oil mixes used in the creams were designed taking into account the dermal maximum values defined for their constituents ["Essential Oils Safety", Tisserand&Young, 2014]. The creams were used for in-vivo testing on volunteers.
