Chemo-type of essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L.from DR Congo and relative in vitro antioxidant potential to the polarity of crude extracts

Objective:To carry out a phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil from Ocimum basilicum L.(O.basilicum) harvested in DR Congo and to assess the antioxidant potential of crude extracts with respect to the polarity for comparison reason.Methods:The phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil produced by hydrodistillation was performed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis and the antioxidant potential evaluation by in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity method.Results:A previously weighed amount of fresh leaves of O.basilicum produced 0.65%of essential oil that led to the identification of a set of 84.44%out of 99.98%as major compounds(> 1.5%).The chemo-type of this essential oil was linalool-methyl chavicol.Chemical components of oil were characterized by oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons(46.00%) and oxygenated monoterpenes(26.75%).With respect to the amount of components,methyl chavicol also known as estragole(35.72%) constituted the very large quantity afterward linalool(21.25%) and then epi-α-cadinol(8.02%),α-bergamotene(6.56%),eugenol(4.60%),1,8-cineole(4.04%),germacrene D(2.06%),thymol(1.64%),and(E)-citral(1.55%),respectively.Essential oil exhibited antioxidant potential and IC_(50) =(1.180 ± 0.015) mg/mL.Non-polar crude extracts yields were low compared to the one of polar extracts.Only methanol and ethyl acetate had considerably manifested antioxidant potential with IC_(50) values equal to(0.025 ± 0.013) mg/mL and(0.085 ± 0.012) mg/mL,respectively.As concerns to IC50 values,essential oil was less active than methanol and ethyl acetate extracts.The methanol crude extract exhibited the highest activity.Non-polar extracts showed insignificant radical scavenging ability that did not allow assessing IC50 values.These results highlighted the occurrence of antioxidant potential compounds in polar media.Conclusions:Essential oil and crude extracts of O.basilicum growing in DR Congo can be advocated as natural sources of antioxidant potential compounds not only in food but also in pharmaceutical industries.The high antioxidant potential of polar crude extracts highlights antioxidant character of its composition particularly butyl stearate and rosmarinic acid we isolated and identified,respectively in the methanol crude extract.

Variability in Content and Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Obtained from Aerial Plant Parts

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) project that is being conducted at the National Oilseed Processing Research Institute (NOPRI) aims at exploiting the genetic diversity and associated phenotypic variation in the investigated basil germplasm and evaluating key factors such as variety, plant ontogeny and plant parts that affect yield, chemical constituents, aroma and flavor of essential oils. This paper discussed the variability inessential oils content and chemical constituents of the aerial plant parts of the basil. An open-air pot experiment was carried out using three accessions provided by Agricultural Research Corporation-Genetic Resources Unit, Sudan. The essential oils were hydro distilled from the aerial parts, flowers, leaves, stems, using Clevenger apparatus. The chemical constituents of the essential oils were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). As the hydro distillation yielded no oil from the stem, we present only the results for leaves and flowers. The results revealed that the essential oil content varied with a range of 0.29% to 0.33% for flowers and 0.32% to 0.48% for leaves. As usual, the content of essential oils was higher in leaves than in flowers. The Silate-Egyptian accession had the lowest essential oil content obtained from leaves and flowers. However, South Darfur accession from Sudan had the highest oil content but did not significantly differ from Kennana accession. Several oil components were identified based upon comparison of their mass spectral data with those of reference compounds published in literature or stored in a computer library. The combined GC-MS analysis showed that methyl eugenol was the major constituent of the essential oil of Kennana accession. While the major constituent of essential oil of South-Darfur and Silate-Egyptian accessions were germacrene and linalool, respectively.

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of essential oils and extracts of sweet basil(Ocimum basilicum L.)plants

The present study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oils and ethanol extracts of Ocimum basilicum L.obtained from Assiut,Minia and BeniSuef of Egypt.The major constituents of sweet basil essential oils from three locations were linalool,estragole,methyl cinnamate,bicyclosesquiphellandrene,eucalyptol,-bergamotene,eugenol,-cadinene and germacrene D by the method of GC–MS.The relative concentration of these compounds varies.The basil extracts contained appreciable levels of total phenolic contents and exhibited good DPPH radical scavenging capacity higher than that of essential oils.The highest TPC(82.45 mg PE/g)and maximum radical scavenging activity with IC50 value(1.29 mg/mL)was obtained from Minia basil extract.High correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of basil extracts was observed.High variation in free radical scavenging activity of essential oils was found.The essential oil from Minia basil showed high activity in DPPH radical scavenging with IC50(11.23 mg/mL)and contained the highest content of phenolic(41.3 mg PE/g).On contrary,low correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of basil essential oils from different locations.The results of the present investigation demonstrated significant variations in the antioxidant activities of sweet basil essential oils and extracts from Egypt.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Volatile Oil of Ocimum basilicum L. in Bozhou and Its Mechanisms

[Objectives] The research aimed to study the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from Ocimum basilicum L. in Bozhou through the experimental animal model of inflammation.[Methods] Xylene-induced mouse ear swelling model and carrageenan-induced mouse paw swelling model were used to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from O. basilicum L.[Results] The extremely high, high, medium, and low doses of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. had a certain inhibitory effect on the ear swelling of mice induced by xylene ( P <0.05), and the inhibitory effect of high-dose group on the ear swelling of mice was better. The swollen degree of the mice s toes in the different dose groups of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. was significantly lower ( P <0.05), and the high-dose and middle-dose groups had better inhibition.[Conclusions] The volatile oil from O. basilicum L. in Bozhou had a significant inhibitory effect on xylene-induced mouse ear swelling and carrageenan-induced mouse paw swelling. It proved and clarified the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil from O. basilicum L. in Bozhou.

Preservation Potentials of Essential Oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from Two Agro-Ecological Zones on Freshwater Smoke-Dried Oreochromis niloticus Fish Sold in Some Local Markets in Cameroon

Dried fish are susceptible to bacteria and fungi attack and are liable to chemical changes which cause losses in quality and reduction of shelf-life. It is important therefore to maintain the quality of fish because continuous consumption of contaminated fish and their products may predispose consumers to health hazards. Maintenance of high quality fish therefore calls for adequate and effective preservation techniques. The study examined the effectiveness of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from two Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon in limiting the microbial proliferation and preserving the quality of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus fish stored at 25˚C for two months. The plant materials were harvested from the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest agroecological zones of Cameroon. Extraction of the essential oil from the plants was done by hydro-distillation. The fish species (Oreochromis niloticus) used in this study was chosen based on a survey study on the most consumed species of freshwater smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon. Heterotrophic bacteria counts, fungi counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts were used to assess the level heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae respectively in the fish samples during storage and were done by culture techniques using total plate count agar, potato dextrose agar and violet red bile glucose agar respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assays were used as spoilage indices to assess the nutritional quality of the fish during storage. From the survey study, Oreochromis niloticus was the most consumed smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands (35.45%) and Monomodal Humid Forest (34.55%) agroecological zones. All the EOs caused a significant reduction in the microbial loads, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus as storage progressed. However, the reduction in these values was more pronounced in samples treated with essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands, with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 5.89, 6.97 and 4.59 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 6.11, 7.79 and 4.86 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. Also, essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands was more effective in preserving the fish quality as lowest total volatile basic nitrogen (12.29 mg/100g), peroxide value (2.79 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (1.695 mg MDA/Kg) values were observed for fish samples treated with this extract at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with total volatile basic nitrogen (14.95 mgN/100g), Peroxide value (3.23 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (2.354 mg MDA/Kg) at the end of the storage period. From the results obtained, essential oils from O. gratissimum were more effective than that from O. basilicum in the two agroecological zones and should be considered as natural alternative to chemical preservatives for further application in food preservation.

Antisickling activity of butyl stearate isolated from Ocimum basilicum(Lamiaceae)

Objective:To perform phytochemical analyses on the leaves of Ocimum basilicum L.(O.basilicum),to elucidate the structure of isolate and then perform the antisickling activity on the crude extract and on the isolate.Methods:The Emmel test performed on the acidified methanolic extract of this plant was used to evaluate the antisickling activity.The structure characterization of the active compound was performed using chromatographic techniques for the separation and the spectroscopic ones for structure elucidation(1H-NMR,13C-NMR.COSY,HMBC).Resurte:The chemical screening on the crude extract revealed the presence of polyphenols(flavonoids,anthocyanins,leucoanthocyanins,tannins,quinones) alkaloids,saponins,triterpenoids and steroids.The ohtained extract after evaporation yielded 34.50g(11.5%) out of 300g of powdered leaves of O.basilicum.The acidified methanolic extract and butyl stearate showed an interesting antisickling activity.Conchisions:The acidified methanolic extract and butyl stearate from O.basilicum displayed a good antisickling activity.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first time to report the antisickling activity of this compound in this plant.The synmesized compound presented the same spectroscopic characteristics than the natural one and the antisickling activities of its derivatives are understudying.

Review on the Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Action of Ocimum basilicum

Ocimum basilicum has a history of several thousand years,the plant resources are rich,and there are many kinds of chemical constituents and pharmacological activity. In the face of the human body,it has a broad role in many ways. O. basilicum has a long history of folk application and research,and very high officinal,edible and economic value. Combining with modern analysis and detection technology,the effective parts of O. basilicum are studied and utilized. The discovery of new drugs will have important practical significance for the development and application of O. basilicum.

Unification of the Quadratic Model Equations of the Inhibition Characteristics of Acidified Ocimum Basilicum on the Corrosion Behaviour of Mild Steel

An attempt has been made at unifying the resulting quadratic models from the study of the correlation behavior of the inhibition characteristics of acidified ocimum basilicum on conventional mild steel. Weight-loss corrosion technique was employed in obtaining the corrosion penetration rate using the equation: cpr = . Subsequently, the quadratic models were developed by using a computer-aided statistical modeling technique (International Business Machine (IBM)’s SPSS version 17.0). The results obtained showed a nearly perfect positive correlation with a correlation coefficient in the range of 0.986 ≤ R ≤ 0.996 which depicts that R ≥ 1. Also, the coefficient of determination fell within the range of 0.972 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.992 showing that approximately 97% to 99% of the total variation in passivation rate was accounted for by corresponding variation in exposure time, leaving out only between 3% and 1% to extraneous factors that are not incorporated into the model equations. The equations were further unified into a generalized form using MathCAD 7.0 and the resulting equation was y = 1.032 - 0.002t + 1.899?× 10-6t2 with a R2 value of 0.935 indicating a well-correlated relationship. With this, a new frontier on corrosion studies has emerged typifying a classical departure from previously long-held assumption that corrosion behaviours at room temperature were only logarithmic.

1H-NMR-based Metabolomic approach to evaluating total flavonoids of Ocimum Basilicum Linn in apolipomtein E knockout mice

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of serum metabolites by using ~1H-NMR-based metabonomic approach to explore the possible mechanisms of total flavonoids in Ocimum BasilicumLinn(OBL) on atherosclerosis in apolipomtein E knockout(ApoE-/-) mice.METHODS Six-week-old male apoE knockout mice were divided into four groups(n=10) and fed with high fet diet:model,Simv.astatin,OBL-H,OBL-M and OBL-L groups.The homogeneous male mice of C57 BL/6 J were used as the normol group and fed with normal chow diet.After 14 weeks,~1H-NMR technology was used to ex.plore the variability of serum metabolites by the method of PLS-DA and OPLS-DA.RESULTS Com.pared with normal group,Model group showed a significant increase in the serum levels of VLDL,LDL,β-hydroxyisobutyrate,lactate,myo-inositol and showed a significant decrease in the serum levels of al.anine,glutamine,proline,carnitine,methylamine,citrate,creatine,choline,taurine,pyruvate,β-glu.cose,α-glucose,glycine,lysine.Combined with model group OBL-H,OBL-M,OBL-L groups showed the effects of regulating the levels of different metabolites of the glucose,lipid and amino acid metabo.lism.CONCLUSION The anti-atheros-clerotic activity of total flavonoids in Ocimum BasilicumLinn may be related not only to regulation of lipid metabolism,but also glycometabolism and amino acid metabolism.

Effect of Induced Mutation on Antioxidant Activity in Ocimum basilicum Linn

Five batches from the same stock of seeds of Ocimum basilicum were irradiated at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 Gy, respectively using 60C source. Methanolic leaf extracts of these samples and a control were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method using M2 plants. All the methanolic extracts showed antioxidant activity. The IC50 of the methanolic extracts of the six different treatments, control, 5 Gy, 10 Gy, 15 Gy, 20 Gy and 25 Gy, showed antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 100, 90, 86, 61, 71 and 70 μg/ml, respectively. Three individual mutants, M-15-5, M-20-6 and M-15-4, had IC50 values of 26, 30 and 40 μg/ml, respectively. These mutants were from the 15 Gy and 20 Gy treatments. From the results, it is confirmed that induced mutation can be employed to create variation in the levels of free radical scavenging activity in O. basilicum and can therefore serve as a tool for breeding for high levels of antioxidant activity in O. basilicum.

Research Progress on Chemical Composition and Clinical Effect of Ocimum basilicum

Ocimum basilicum is a common herb well known for its importance for ornamental and therapeutic purposes. Chemical components that have been isolated from O. basilicum plants include terpenoids,alkaloids,flavonoids,tannic acid,saponin glycosides,and ascorbic acid.O. basilicum has liver protection,immune regulation,anti-hyperglycemia,hypolipidemic,anti-toxin,anti-inflammatory,anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects. This paper aims to review the latest progress in phytochemical research and pharmacological research of O. basilicum,which will assist various practitioners and clinicians in understanding the traditional and modern uses of O. basilicum.

Investigation of effect of antibacterial, antioxidant, and phytochemical factors of Ocimum basilicum extract on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

The use of natural antibacterial compounds in tcontroling and eliminating pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria and fungi has been extensively evaluated.Plant extracts have been studied in the past years as antibacterial agents in medicine,plant pathology,and canned food,and unlike antibiotics,they do not cause drug resistance in pathogens.BHA(Beta-hydroxy acid)is a synthetic antioxidant with good fat solubility.Most of the extracted materials have antifungal,antiviral,and antibacterial properties.Different mechanisms of these act on bacteria and prevent their growth and multiplying.Many plants’extraction has phenolic active groups in their structures.Due to the importance and antimicrobial effects of essential oil and basil extract,the present study was performed to investigate the effect of different concentrations of basil extract on the growth of two bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.Also,the chemical composition of this plant extract and its antioxidant properties have been studied.The results of this study showed that basil extract,especially in 100 and 70%concentration,had antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus but it does not show sufficient antimicrobial effect against Escherichia coli in the same dose.Analysis of chemical compounds in the extraction of this plant showed a total of 15 chemical compounds,most of which are related to the compounds neofitidine with concentration(41.44%),dimethylamino pentane with concentration(14.81%)and cyclohexane with concentration(91.9%).We also compared the antioxidant properties of basil extract with BHA and showed a significant difference in comparison with the inhibition of DPPH(2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl)formation by the extract and the standard BHA,so that the inhibition of DPPH by the standard BHA sample was significantly higher than the BHA.But basil extract showed good antioxidant properties equivalent to 400 mg/mL in 800 mg/mL BHA.

Investigation of effect of antibacterial,antioxidant,and phytochemical factors of Ocimum basilicum extract on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

The use of natural antibacterial compounds in tcontroling and eliminating pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria and fungi has been extensively evaluated.Plant extracts have been studied in the past years as antibacterial agents in medicine,plant pathology,and canned food,and unlike antibiotics,they do not cause drug resistance in pathogens.BHA(Beta-hydroxy acid)is a synthetic antioxidant with good fat solubility.Most of the extracted materials have antifungal,antiviral,and antibacterial properties.Different mechanisms of these act on bacteria and prevent their growth and multiplying.Many plants’extraction has phenolic active groups in their structures.Due to the importance and antimicrobial effects of essential oil and basil extract,the present study was performed to investigate the effect of different concentrations of basil extract on the growth of two bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.Also,the chemical composition of this plant extract and its antioxidant properties have been studied.The results of this study showed that basil extract,especially in 100 and 70%concentration,had antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus but it does not show sufficient antimicrobial effect against Escherichia coli in the same dose.Analysis of chemical compounds in the extraction of this plant showed a total of 15 chemical compounds,most of which are related to the compounds neofitidine with concentration(41.44%),dimethylamino pentane with concentration(14.81%)and cyclohexane with concentration(91.9%).We also compared the antioxidant properties of basil extract with BHA and showed a significant difference in comparison with the inhibition of DPPH(2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl)formation by the extract and the standard BHA,so that the inhibition of DPPH by the standard BHA sample was significantly higher than the BHA.But basil extract showed good antioxidant properties equivalent to 400 mg/mL in 800 mg/mL BHA.

白花罗勒(Ocimum basilium L.)盾状腺毛分泌过程的超微结构研究

白花罗勒成熟的盾状腺毛头部细胞中 ,质体含量丰富 ,体积较大 ,其中有大量的嗜锇物质积累 ;在分泌过程中 ,分泌细胞出现质壁分离现象 ;嗜锇物质向外分泌的途径有两条 :一条是以胞吐的方式 。

The Influence of Different Nitrogen Treatments on the Growth and Yield of Basil （Ocimum Basificum L.）

Sweet basil （Ocimum basilicum L.） is a popular culinary herbal crop grown for the fresh or dry leaf, essential oil and seed markets. Recently, basil has been shown to rank highest among spices and herbal crops for xanthophyll carotenoids, which are associated with a decreased risk of cancer and age-related eye diseases. Nitrogen fertilizer encourages vegetative growth and increases oil yield in aromatic plants by enhancing leaf area development and photosynthetic rate. Our goal was to determine the influence of different concentrations of nitrogen （N） fertilization on basil physiology. The trial examined the cultivation of Ocimum basilicum L. （variety Genovese gigante）. The experiment was carried out under Mediterranean climatic conditions. The experiment considered the adoption of three nitrogen （N） treatments （0, 160, 240 kg N ha-1）. The following biometric parameters were determined： plant height, leaves per plant, leaf to stem ratio, number of branchings per plant, leaf area index （LAI）, above-ground fresh and leaf biomass. Considering the parameters most strictly linked to the economic results （total fresh weight, fresh weight of the leaves and total dry weight）, we found that 160 kg N ha^-1 treatment showed the best performance.

Hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic study of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.leaves extract in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.(O.tenuiflorum) leaves used in the traditional medicine management of diabetes in Malaysia.Methods:O.tenuiflorum leaves were extracted sequentially with hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,methanol,and water.The extracts were evaluated in terms of antidiabetic activity by using acute,subcutaneous glucose tolerance,and sub-chronic tests in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats.The extracts were also subjected to phytochemical analyses.Results:With an acute dose(1 g/kg),the methanol extracts showed significant reduction(31%) in fasting blood glucose(FBG) of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.The FBG-decreasing effect of ethyl acetate extract was more rapid than that of the other extracts;the decreasing rates were 20%after 2 h,21%after 3 h,and 8%after 5 and 7 h.After 7 h(31%),the effect of methanol extract on FBG was significantly lower than that of metformin.In the subcutaneous glucose tolerance test,only methanol and hexane extracts showed the similarity of metformin in diabetic rats.After 14 days,the effects of these extracts were similar to those of metformin(63.33%).The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of extracts decreased as the polarity of the extraction solvent increased.Conclusions:The results obtained provide support for a possible use of O.tenuiflorum leaves in managing hyperglycemia and preventing the complications associated with it in type 2 diabetic.

Comparative study on some selected species of <i>Ocimum</i>genus on free radical scavenging activity and hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 induced intoxication in rats

In this study, we compared the in vitro antioxidant property among the selected Ocimum species (O. sanctum, O. americanum, O. basilicum and O. gratissimum) and hepatoprotective activities of their extracts against CCl4 induced intoxication. The results suggested that the four species of Ocimum genus showed variability in Phenolic content and in vitro antioxi-dant activity against DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in the following manner: O. sanctum > O. americanum > O. basilicum > O. gratissimum respec-tively. Based on serum AST, ALT, ALP and T. Bil levels, the alcoholic extracts of Ocimum species showed a significant dose dependent (250 mg and 500 mg and 750 mg/kg p.o.) and a protective effect against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. The results further revealed that the potential hepatoprotective activity of Ocimum sanctum among the Ocimum species.

Anti-Oxidative, Anti-Hyperglycemic and Lipid-Lowering Effects of Aqueous Extracts of <i>Ocimum sanctum</i>L. Leaves in Diabetic Rats

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of aqueous extracts of Ocimum sanctum L. leaves on blood glucose, serum lipid profile and anti-oxidative activity to protect various risk organs in DM rats. Ocimum sanctum L. leaves were extracted using water, then the total phenolic content was determined. Three groups of male Wistar rats were used including normal control rats, DM rats and DM rats daily fed with aqueous extracts of Ocimum sanctum L. leaves (AQOS) for three weeks. DM rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kgbw). The results show that three weeks of diabetic induction increased blood glucose, serum lipid profile and serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, CK-MB, creatinine and BUN. AQOS significantly decreased blood glucose, serum lipid profile and serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, CK-MB, creatinine and BUN. The low level of serum insulin was also raised by AQOS. AQOS suppressed high TBARS level and raised the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, kidney and cardiac tis- sues. Histopathological results show that AQOS preserved the liver, kidney and myocardial tissues. It can be concluded that AQOS had anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and free radical sca- venging effects providing organ protection from diabetes. The phenolic compounds contained in AQOS might be responsible for these activities.

Genetic Diversity of the Medicinal Plant Ocimum Gratissimum L. （mint） from Kenya Based on AFLP Markers

Ocimum gratissimum L. native to Africa is a shrubby essential oil containing plant with medicinal, antimicrobial and antihelminthic properties. It is an important herbal medicine not only among Kenyan communities but also in the sub-Saharan Africa. No systematic assessment of genetic variability in O. gratissimum of Kenya has been carried out. In this study, amplified fragment length polymorphism （AFLP） analysis was used to estimate genetic diversity and genetic differentiation in 139 samples from all the different provinces of Kenya. Seven primer pairs, the Eco＋ACT plus Mse＋CAA, Eco＋ACT plus Mse＋CTG, Eco＋ACA plus Mse＋CAA, Eco＋ACA plus Mse＋CTG, Eco＋AGC plus Mse＋CAA, Eco＋ACC plus Mse＋CAA, and Eco＋ACC plus Mse＋CAC were the best combinations and generated polymorphic 655 bands with fragment ranging in size from 50 - 473 bp in size. Populations from central Kenya had the highest levels gene diversity. Most of the variability was partitioned into within populations 71%; P 〈 0.001 implying that collection strategies for conservation should focus on a few populations with many individuals across the ecological amplitude of the population. Genetic differentiation was GST = 0.286, an indication of genetic variation among the populations.

Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities of the Essential Oils of Ocimum gratissimum from Yaounde and Dschang （Cameroon）

Due to the harmful effect of free radical on physiological and pathological state of our body on one hand, and the increase of the fungal infection on the other hand, drug that can reduce free radical and inhibit fungal growth is needed. This work aims to evaluate the antioxidant and antifungal activities of the Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oils from center and west region of Cameroon. Essential oil was analyzed by GC （gas chromatography） and GC coupled with MS （mass spectrometry）. The antioxidant activities of essential oils were studied by the Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl method and the β-carotene bleaching test. The antifungal activities were assessed using micro-dilution technique for yeasts and agar dilution method for Aspergillus. Thymol and γ-terpinene, eugenol and thymol were the major compounds for Yaounde and Dschang, respectively. The scavenging capacity of sample from Dschang was higher than that of Yaounde. Also, the β-carotene bleaching tests of the sample from Dschang were better than that from Yaounde. The antifungal activity of the sample from Yaounde was higher than that from Dschang on yeasts and Aspergillus isolates, respectively. This work presents and compares the chemical composition, antioxidant and antifungal activity of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil from center and west region of Cameroon.