Comparative Analysis of Essential Oil Yield in Diverse Ocimum Species

Author(s) : Muhammad Rehan, Abdul Ahad Qureshi, Usman Shoukat Qureshi, Sabir Hussain Shah, and Sher Muhammad

Digital object identifier:

https://doi.org/10.52587/JAF060113

Abstract:

The study aimed to compare the morphological characteristics and oil content of four Ocimum varieties: Red Opal, Lettuce Leaf, Genovese, and Local variety, from two species, Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum tenuiflorum. Genovese exhibited the tallest plants (53.87 cm), while Red Opal was the shortest (33.79 cm). The Local variety had the highest number of branches (17) and leaves per plant (221), which were 21% and 87% more than those of Red Opal and Genovese, respectively. Lettuce Leaf had the largest leaves, with an area of 86.99 cm². The Local variety also produced the most inflorescences and had the longest inflorescence length. The oil content was similar across most varieties, except for Lettuce Leaf, which had a significantly lower oil yield (8.2 ml/kg), 83%, 66%, and 64% less than the Local variety, Genovese, and Red Opal, respectively. The morphological and oil content variability among the Ocimum varieties suggests further research is needed to understand the underlying causes and phenomena affecting these traits.