Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of essential oils from different Ocimum species (Basil) / Composição química e atividade antioxidante de óleos essenciais de diferentes espécies de Ocimum (Manjericão)

Plants of the genus Ocimum are widely used in cooking, cosmetics and folk medicine, mainly antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. This article examines the chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of essential oils of Ocimum varieties. The chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). For the evaluation of the antioxidant capacities, three different methods were used: the 2,20-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method (DPPH), ABTS (2,2?-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) antiradical method and ?-carotene/peroxyl radicals (LOO•) systems. There was a great variability in the composition and some species had a high eugenol content: O. tenuiflorum>O. campechianum>O. basilicum var. ball>O. gratissimum >O. basilicum var. greek. Methyl chavicol, neral and geranial were components found in other Ocimum species. Better antioxidant efficiency was found in species with a higher eugenol content as Ocimum tenuiflorum by DPPH IC50 2.31±0.02 µg.mL-1, ABTS IC50 2.22±0.23 µg.mL-1 and ?-carotene/linolenic acid system IC50 16.11±3.59 µg.mL-1, equally statistically significant when compared to pure eugenol. Basil essential oils had higher eugenol content in five species with strong antioxidant potential, adding a differential value to the Food Industry in the production of new functional foods or biofilms for foods with functionalities of preservation or control of chronic diseases